Twins

Twins slash most of pro scouting department, dismiss four scouts

The Twins eliminated the positions of pro scouts Ken Compton, John Manuel, José Marzán and Keith Stohr.

By Bobby Nightengale

The Minnesota Star Tribune

September 18, 2025 at 1:09AM

The Twins' Byron Buxton rounds third base to score on Austin Martin's double during the seventh inning Monday night against the New York Yankees. (Matt Krohn/The Associated Press)

The Twins slashed most of their pro scouting staff Tuesday, dismissing four pro scouts, sources confirmed to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Joining the group of teams that have devalued pro scouts in recent years, cutting travel budgets and relying heavily on video-based scouting, the Twins eliminated the positions of pro scouts Ken Compton, John Manuel, José Marzán and Keith Stohr.

The internal downsizing in the pro scouting department leaves the Twins with two pro scouts: Jason Hahn, who is based in Arizona, and Wesley Wright, a pro scout who received the title of pro personnel coordinator last year. The Twins listed 12 pro scouts in their media guide during the 2023 season.

The latest dismissals come after the Pohlad family announced it was no longer exploring a sale of the club. There will be two minor investment groups added to the ownership structure. Both remain unidentified as they await Major League Baseball’s approval, which will help pay down the team’s reported $400 million debt.

The Twins hired Compton as one of their pro scouts after the 2006 season, and he was honored by the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation in 2019. Stohr joined the Twins in 2017 after he was an advance scout for the Chicago Cubs, and Manuel, a former editor-in-chief at Baseball America, spent eight seasons inside the organization. Marzán started as a minor league coach with the Twins in 1992 before he shifted into scouting.

In a separate restructuring, the Twins parted with three of their international scouts in Venezuela last Friday.

Buxton hits milestone

Byron Buxton recorded his 500th plate appearance of the season in the first inning against the Yankees on Wednesday. It’s the second time he has reached that benchmark during his 11-season career.

“That’s a big number because that means you’ve been on the field and you’ve been in the lineup,” said Buxton, who entered Wednesday with single-season career highs in runs (90), hits (121), homers (31), RBI (76) and walks (39). “I’ve been in the lineup, been able to post up every day, not DHing and in center. That’s a positive for me.”

The milestone will help his wallet, too.

Buxton is set to receive a $500,000 bonus after he hits 502 plate appearances, one of the incentives as part of the seven-year, $100 million contract he signed after the 2021 season. He will receive another $500,000 if he hits 533 plate appearances, and again if he surpasses 567, 600 and 625 plate appearances.

He can receive an additional $3 million if he finishes inside the top 10 of the American League MVP voting.

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“I don’t know what’s going to end up meaning the most to Buck when the time comes and the season wraps up,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I think it’s going to be just the fact that he woke up every day, showed up to the field, and he was out there. And that means way more to him than statistics because he loves to play.”

Another number for Buxton to chase is joining the 30-30 club. He stole his 23rd and 24th bases Tuesday night.

“I hope he does,” reach the 30-30 club, Baldelli said. “I think he might. He’s got a shot at it. I’ll tell you this, he won’t have the red light.”

Buxton has stolen 30 consecutive bases without being thrown out, dating to last season.

He’s already the only player in Twins history to steal 30 in a row, with 33 straight from 2017 to 2019. The previous record was Chuck Knoblauch’s 23 straight successful steals. Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki owns the MLB record with 45 in a row.

New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler nearly caught Buxton attempting to steal third base in the fifth inning Tuesday, throwing to second when Buxton started running. Buxton beat shortstop Anthony Volpe’s subsequent throw to third.

“I literally told [third base coach] Tommy [Watkins], ‘I’m going on the first pitch,’ ” Buxton said. “Which is probably why they inside moved me” with a pickoff play.

Etc.

The Yankees were set to have a hectic travel schedule after playing a getaway game Wednesday night at Target Field. They have a game Thursday night in Baltimore, but they were scheduled to fly to Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., and bus to Baltimore because of a curfew at Baltimore’s airport.
Ryan Jeffers, who remains on the seven-day concussion list, has ramped up his activities this week. He faced reliever Anthony Misiewicz in a live session Tuesday and took swings off a batting practice pitcher and a pitching machine Wednesday.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Twins’ High-A affiliate, were swept in the Midwest League championship series by the West Michigan Whitecaps, losing 3-1 in the second game of the best-of-three series.

about the writer

Bobby Nightengale

Minnesota Twins reporter

Bobby Nightengale joined the Minnesota Star Tribune in May, 2023, after covering the Reds for the Cincinnati Enquirer for five years. He's a graduate of Bradley University.