The Minnesota Twins are expected to announce the hiring of Rocco Baldelli as the club's new manager during a press conference Thursday, according to FOX 9 Sports.
Baldelli, 37, is set to become the 14th manager in Twins history and had previously served as the major-league field coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Multiple teams have considered enlisting Baldelli, who was reportedly considered a finalist for the Toronto Blue Jays' managerial vacancy.
Baldelli served as an outfielder during his seven-year playing career, authoring a .278/.323/.443 slash line with 60 home runs and 60 stolen bases over 519 games, predominantly with the Rays organization.
After retiring as a player due to a mitochondrial disorder, the Rays hired Baldelli as a special adviser under then-executive Andrew Friedman. From 2015-16, Baldelli served as the team's first-base coach before earning a promotion to major-league field coordinator alongside manager Kevin Cash.
Baldelli will replace Paul Molitor, who served as Minnesota's skipper for four seasons before being fired in early October. The 62-year-old Hall of Famer owns a 305-343 record as manager, leading the Twins to the American League wild card in 2017 before a disappointing 78-win campaign this past year.