Paul Molitor was honored as the AL Manager of the Year after the 2017 season. On Tuesday, the Twins fired him after a disappointing 2018 season.
The Twins new brain trust of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine got it wrong with this decision. They made Molitor a scapegoat for a season in which many things went wrong, including a number of their own personnel decisions.
Molitor deserved to return based on all the factors that contributed to this ugly season. Miguel Sano showed up to spring training out of shape at nearly 300 pounds. Staff ace Ervin Santana (finger surgery) and shortstop Jorge Polanco (drug suspension) missed the first half of the season. Falvey and Levine mostly whiffed on veteran pickups Logan Morrison, Lance Lynn, Addison Reed, Zach Duke and Jake Odorizzi.
Those factors sabotaged this season and weren't the fault of Molitor, who signed a three-year contract last offseason.
CHIP SCOGGINS
