Paul Molitor entered the 2017 season as a lame duck coming off a disastrous 103-loss season, but that didn’t stop the manager from leading his Minnesota Twins to a postseason berth this year. Not surprisingly, the team now wants him back in 2018.
Molitor, who is the favorite to win AL Manager of the Year, has been asked by the Twins to return next season. However, a source told Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press that no real progress had been made toward a new contract as of Thursday.
“Nothing has been decided or agreed to at this point in time,” a person with knowledge of the situation told Berardino.
Molitor and his coaching staff met with Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine after the team lost to the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card game Tuesday night. The 61-year-old, who is the oldest manager in Twins history, reportedly made less than $4 million over the past three years, so he will likely be seeking a raise. Molitor could also be interested in other managerial vacancies with the New York Mets, Detroit Tigers or Philadelphia Phillies.
The Twins became the first ever team to go from losing 98 or more games one season to reaching the postseason the next. They also set a club record with their 26-win turnaround.
