The Los Angeles Dodgers lost an important member of their front office earlier this month when longtime senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes was hired by the Colorado Rockies to be their new general manager.
Byrnes had been with the Dodgers since the 2015 season, when he began supervising the club’s scouting and player development. He was part of a remarkable stretch that included 10 National League West titles, five pennants and three World Series championships.
After seeing Byrnes depart for another NL West team, the Dodgers front office has now added a new name.
According to Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune, former Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is joining the Dodgers front office as a special assistant:
Baldelli is taking a front office role with the Dodgers, two people familiar with the hire told the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Baldelli has a long history with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman as the two previously were together with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Baldelli’s playing career overlapped with Friedman’s stint as Rays general manager, and after retiring, he joined their front office as a special assistant.
After Friedman departed to become Dodgers president of baseball operations, Baldelli remained with the Rays as a coach for four seasons.
Rocco Baldelli’s manager career with Twins
Baldelli landed his first managerial job with the Twins in 2019 and led the team to a 527-505 record over seven seasons before being let go at the end of the 2025 campaign.
Baldelli was named American League Manager of the Year in 2019 and helped the Twins win three AL Central titles during his time with the team.
Baldelli recently said that he was interested in managing again, and had been linked to the Los Angeles Angels’ and Washington Nationals’ openings before they hired Kurt Suzuki and Blake Butera, respectively.
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