MLB rumors: Twins working on multi-year extension with Paul Molitor

The Twins and manager Paul Molitor are working on a multi-year contract, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Molitor’s first three-year contract with the Twins is about to expire. Molitor’s deal was believed to be for less than $4 million total, sources familiar with the deal told Berardino.

The deal is much deserved for the 61-year-old Molitor, as he led the Twins to their first postseason appearance since 2010 after earning the second AL wild card spot. The Twins lost to the Yankees, 8-4, in the wild card game, but finished the season with an 85-77 record — a remarkable 28-win turnaround from 2016, considering they went 59-103.

Molitor, who has a three-year record of 227-259 (.467), will more than likely get a pay bump given what he did this season and it will probably fall somewhere in the middle as far as managers are paid. The Angels’ Mike Scioscia, the Giants’ Bruce Bochy and the Cubs’ Joe Maddon are the highest paid managers in baseball, each earning $6 million per season. White Sox manager Rick Renteria is at the lower end, as he earned $1.1 million in the first year of his three-year, $3.6 million deal this season.