And yes, I get it. Seems weird, because its mid-season MLB, and the odd nature of the hire. There must be more to this story. "That's when he told me that he had a great opportunity for himself and his family at LSU," Correa said. And manager Rocco Baldelli made no secret about the outsized role Johnson played relative to some other MLB pitching coaches, often deferring to Johnson on day-to-day pitching questions, not unlike an offensive-minded football coach handing the keys to the defense over to a defensive coordinator. According to his new contract, hes taking a slight paycut to join the LSU staff: Term sheet for new #LSU pitching coach Wes Johnson says he signed a three-year deal paying him $380K per year, plus postseason incentives. I appreciate that. Just my perspective though, but if hes happy, good for him, its the right choice. He later joined Arkansas. Cal Ripken and Cooperstown are connected again. It doesnt make this a normal situation, and it has the Twins looking for a new pitching coach. 30 years ago managers and coaches would have been fired for the way they handle pitchers today. He read the first tweet on his timeline twice. News of his move broke shortly before takeoff to Cleveland, where the first-place Twins open a crucial four-day, five-game series against the second-place Guardians on Monday. If he wanted to go and was denied that opportunity both his attitude and desire would take on a decidedly negative attitude which would affect both his ability to relate to pitchers, position players, fellow coaches, the team manager and the front office. Johnson was in the midst of his fourth season with the Twins before leaving for LSU. "We have hired, in my opinion, the best pitching coach in the country at any level," LSU coach Jay Johnson said in a school release Monday. Why would Johnson leave MLB to go back to college baseball? Perhaps the key challenge is this: The pitching infrastructure will remain in place, and the information will remain the same, but the primary messenger will change. His influence and impact will continue to be realized in Minnesota through the pitchers and staff members he helped mentor. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. In baseball, it hasn't been. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. More money, better job security, sometimes state pensions its a no-brainer. He's a fireball. And you think he wouldnt have that as a big league pitching coach? ", For Smeltzer, the loss is more about personality and communication. There is more to this story that is as yet unsaid. It will be interesting to see if this is part of an evolving trend. pic.twitter.com/120i0hm97C, So now that we have more detail, this makes the midseason move even more fascinating for Wes Johnson leaving an MLB team for #LSU. Good point, and I know with football taking a hit, they need some big hires to at least make the appearances that the program is ascending. Since they didnt win a title this year they should just not bother? This just shows how much he must hate the Twins or Minnesota. The decision puts the Twins in a midstream juggling act. The 2021 season was a steep drop-off, with a 4.83 staff ERA. Baldelli told reporters before Thursday's game that "the pitching guys have been doing a lot of talking together over the last four days. I know he had a positive impact on everyone he worked with and every aspect of our program. With the Twins, Johnsons salary will be upwards of $350,000 annually in a multi-year deal, Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball said in a tweet. Good for him on getting to place and salary thats good for his family. The request was filed by LSUs beat reporter for The Athletic, Brody Miller. he was asked. You kind of get back down to the plan of what youre trying to accomplish when you get out there on the mound. Major league coaches particularly a hitting or pitching coach generally arent going to jump ship mid-season. Since the start of the 2019 season, Minnesota pitchers rank 10th in baseball in fWAR (46.8), which is a strong total even factoring in the injuries and performance drop-offs that plagued the Twins during their disappointing 2021 campaign. has anyone wes johnson twins salary. You may be right. That doesnt appear to be what happened, though. First place who cares? Theres pretty much nothing that can be done on the Twins end except maybe a signing bonus that would have to be returned. LSU released Johnson's contract information to The Advertiser on Monday after a public records request. Coaching changes happen all the time during the season in baseball. Certainly not a lateral move. The Twins pulled together impromptu meetings at the hotel, where Baldelli, Johnson and President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey confirmed the reports. Now that D1 athletes have NIL compensation, that makes that part easier. Theres also a quality-of-life issue, as coaches with big time college programs do much less travel, particularly during the season, than MLB coaches do, and thus get to spend many more nights at home with their families. WebWesley Johnson contract and salary cap details, contract breakdowns, dead money, and news. Wes Johnsons base LSU salary is $380,000 as reported by @BrodyAMiller. It purely comes down to my family. I never learned this being competitive crap as a victory.. it may sell ticket but.. win World series no they cant even win a post season game or series. I didnt have tickets to their games but it still seems like half the fans had LSU gear. There was never anywhere close to the number of pitching injuries we routinely see and accept each year. pic.twitter.com/120i0hm97C. So why would Wes leave? 1, but Twins fans will pound the table for additional pitching help []. While a Twins source said pay and resources were not an issue in Johnson leaving, a coach leaving the majors for a college gig does put into question how MLB The Lafayette Daily Advertiser reported Johnson's LSU contract has a $380,000 yearly base salary for three years, plus a $800 per month vehicle allowance Johnson will indeed leave for LSU when the Twins series in Cleveland concludes on Thursday. Either they made Johnson an offer he couldnt refuse, or they simply gave him a better life. Hence, the Yankees were out of the race. Which would seem to indicate that, well, coaches arent seen as that important, are seen as largely interchangeable. "You don't ever hear anybody on their deathbed going, 'Man, I wish I'd have stuck it out to see if we'd won 101 and not done what's right for my family.'". EXAMINING LSU BASEBALL'S ROSTER:Examining LSU baseball's 2023 roster: Who is gone? Not everyone was happy about the news, Twins sources said. Good luck Wes! While that might not be much, theres also the potential for Johnson to make a lot more money if the teams successful: John Anderson making $225G w/ Gophers after 40+ yrs. Then checked if the account that tweeted it was verified. Just interesting because of the unusual nature of an active MLB pitching coach being involved. ", The move has become more common in the last three years. 2023 Baseball HOF preview: Downballot candidates try to hold Report: Royals want Greinke to accept inexpensive, incentive Report: Red Sox bring in Alfaro on minor-league deal. Summer camps start in July and fall practices and scrimmage games for college teams start September 7th. He's regarded as a pioneer in the field. LSUs last College World Series appearance came in 2017 and it won its last national title in 2009. "Wes Johnson and others speak about his move to LSU pic.twitter.com/SDuwpnDAB2. Term sheet for new #LSU pitching coach Wes Johnson says he signed a three-year deal paying him $380K per year, plus postseason incentives. They are totally self-sufficient, one of about 8 university athletic departments to operate that way. Johnson accepted Sunday. The term sheet has a$380,000yearly base salaryand runs through June 30, 2025. Falvey, when he was a member of Cleveland's baseball operations department, was one of the first in MLB to attend college coaching clinics in the early 2010s - events like Pitch-A-Palooza, and clinics at the Texas Baseball Ranch. It's my Lord and savior Jesus Christ, one. Smeltzer said Johnson was good at communicating complex data from the front office in easy-to-digest ways. The value of a marginal win on the free agent market for players has been discussed for years now, and while marginal win value isnt linear for an individual player (a 0 win to 1 win delta for a player has less value than a 3 win to 4 win delta, for example) and depends on each individual teams situation, we can comfortably say that a marginal win is going to be valued at somewhere from $5 to $10 million. Twins reliever Emilio Pagan said Johnson quickly helped him add two pitches after he arrived via an Opening Day trade. But this is hire time for NCAA programs. Minnesota hasthe 11th best ERA in MLB and is in first place in the American League Central. Ability of MLB pitching staff to perform is in doubt. Im not trying to be snarky, please dont take it that way. The Athletic reported on Monday that Johnson was making $400,000 per year with the organization. Ya know, the people who actually do what colleges are supposed to do? Time will tell, but if he is successful with LSU, someone will offer him a job in MLB again, imo. Johnson reportedly received an annual salary around $350,000 from the Twins when he left the University of Arkansas for MLB in November 2018. The fact that the Tigers have not been to the CWS in 5 years is likely behind a huge spending spree on their coaching staff the last 2 years. Johnson will also have full control of pitching development. I would not let him go in midseason, unless his contract allows him to break it for college. Now the staff will have to look to assistant pitching coach Pete Maki, whos set to take over for Johnson. This Samuel guy knows just enough about baseball that his friends think he knows a lot but everyone else knows differently. LSU was very aggressive in the negotiating process and Johnson moved forward even after the Twins asked what they could do to potentially make staying more appealing. So hes getting paid twice as much money, To Coach in 1/3 of the games and you all think its a LATERAL move? If a pitcher pitches too many innings and doesnt have enough cartilage to protect his arm, that pitchers effectiveness will go downhill. Johnson isn't a run-of-the-mill pitching coach. Like a former NFL coach going back to coach in NCAA, recruits want to play for a coach with MLB experience even if its a little. Term sheet for Interesting that he leaves in the middle of the Year considering the college season wont start until well after the Major League baseball season is over. June 27: The Twins formally announced this morning that Johnson will depart the organization to accept his new role at LSU. Im sorry but this is totally fed up. He went to Smithers for rehab and it gave him a break from pitching so many complete games. The story is worth checking out, for a number of reasons, but what struck me in reading about it is what it reveals about the compensation for coaches, and what it says about how they are valued. Johnson, who grew up in Arkansas and lives there in the offseason, its a lot closer to his family then Minnesota is. Its probably a moot point though. ACC Freshman of the Year Tommy White, who hit 27 home runs, transfers to LSU baseball, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. You have the most accurate handle Ive ever come across. Johnson was worth every penny the Twins were paying him. "I think there will be a learning process there, but there hasn't been any issues yet. The latter two are still in middle and high school in Johnson's native Arkansas. "I got pretty choked up when I came out and got that hug for the last time. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Someoldguy your precisely why mlb owners should all spend less on talent. Odd that he would leave during the season and not negotiate leaving after the season. When Falvey and Levine took over the Twins, the cupboard was bare in terms of quality pitching. And make 350K at a private company (that, of course, benefits from socialism for the oligarchs with tax money given free to them). "There is the question of not just listing out things you need to do, it's how you do it, how you talk about it, how a player prefers to be prepared for what he's doing," Baldelli said. He could have identified relievers to trade for who he could work with and get the best version out of them. Johnson didn't have a chance between Sunday's game and flight to properly inform the team before the news leaked. "You can't fault a guy for doing what is best for him and his family. " He's the best pitching coach I've ever had, top to bottom. Gambling problem? DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) June 26, 2022. Umhes making 30k more. Hes moving from Minnesota to Louisiana. Letting him go could be just another example of the Twins being Minnesota Nice and not hindering their future ability to recruit and sign other coaches when that is necessary. The Twins were reportedly paying $400,000 a year for Johnsons services, a number thats in line with what a lot of college pitching coaches make. Who will step up? The pitching has been a reason behind the Twins 41-33 record, and rise to first place in the AL Central. But that accelerated this past week, and the aggressive pitch became an offer Thursday. And that makes Johnsons move rather remarkable. He did not ask the team for more money, but its believed that his new salary is double what he was believed to be making with the Twins ($350K). Id imagine any major position on that staff would be considered a major win. Is there a team out there that doesnt have at least 2 pitchers out for the season? All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. College pitchers get ran into the ground while major league pitchers are monitored carefully. In fact, that booster is probably encouraging him to do so. Im MLB I ban any college from talking to coaches during season. Leaving for a lateral move sounds bad on the twins. I couldnt leave fast enough. No idea how it transpired as far as communication with the Twins. Johnson's last postgame experience in a major-league clubhouse was a somber one. Btw, does putting something up your nose hurt your arm? All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Wtf are you talking about? It has also put the Twins in a tough spot, having to replace a key staff member by Friday once Johnson officially leaves after this series. The 29-year-old right-hander could be dealt by the salary-shedding As by the Aug. 2 trade deadline, joining Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea, who were jettisoned earlier this year in moves that cut payroll to a major league-low $48 million on opening day. And unlike players, teams dont get six years of control with coaches. During that same time, the Twins made more than 2x what all of LSU athletics did (football being the cash cow). Perhaps the oddest part, is that the Twins have 89 games left in their season. "I'm probably a little naive," Falvey told me in 2019. Youre always going to have times where guys are not throwing the ball the way they want to, even your trusted guys. News spread that Johnson was leaving the team to take the pitching coach job at LSU. He's an integral part of the coaching staff, helping Baldelli an outfielder in his playing days make decisions around all things pitching. Would you rather be scouting a team in the Cape Cod league or agonizing over whether to put Tyler Duffey in the game on a 90-degree day in Detroit? As one of the leaders of the Trackman technology, the Twins believed that Johnson would give them an advantage. Theres almost no chance a booster is calling the dugout if Johnson wants to send his ace out into the eighth inning. Lol calling your own comment a clown comment. lol. Think of where you would rather be on a summer day. The Twins first learned of Johnsons negotiations with LSU on Saturday. That info wasnt there when the person posted their reply. While the offseason is likely filled with recruiting trips and watching some of his own players play in summer leagues, it doesnt match the 162-game grind of an MLB season. The term sheet has a $380,000 Related: MLB power rankings 2022: Best MLB teams in New York heading into July, MLB trade rumors: Latest MLB rumors in June, MLB power rankings 2022: Best MLB teams in New York heading into July. Wesley Johnson (born May 23, 1988) is famous for being youtuber. I keep thinking about the LSU pitcher from a couple of years ago who hit nukes in high school. Earlier this week, news broke that Wes Johnson, the well-regarded pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins, was leaving the Twins to become the new pitching coach for LSU. Bullpen coach Pete Maki is expected to take over the lead pitching coach role from Johnson, but Twins officials have stressed that truly replacing Johnson will be a group effort involving multiple internal staff members. Most of these guys cant get through half a game and your talking unethical? Theres something terribly unethical about the way pitchers are expected to throw. Theres often a lot movement between professional and college baseball.just maybe not this newsworthy and high profile. Lateral or step down doesnt really matter when youre making 500K more a year. Not to mention, rookie sensation Joe Ryan is off to a red-hot start, pitching to a 3.00 ERA through 10 starts. He was with the Mets quite a long time. His final day with the Twins will be Thursday. Johnson was leaving a good team to take the same position at a lower level, albeit at a school in the powerhouse SEC. Sometimes those answers are very easy, sometimes they are more complex.". LSU baseball pitching coach Wes Johnson, who was hired Monday evening, has signed his three-year contract worth $1.14 million. Then of course, theres the money. The Minnesota Twins entered the offseason with a lot of roster uncertainty. Instead, teams are paying coaches the equivalent of slot value for a sixth round draft pick. Then he'll make his way to Louisiana to prepare for his second act as a college coach. One wonders how much coin hes getting from LSU to consider this move. Was it true? Sure, Johnson has family in the south and life as a pitching coach in the NCAA may be less-taxing too. According to his Who loses. Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy have gone from bargain-bin free agents to respectable pieces of the rotation. Wes Johnsons base LSU salary is $380,000 as reported by @BrodyAMiller.Multiple industry sources said total compensatory package potentially in neighborhood of $750,000. TOMMY WHITE TO LSU:ACC Freshman of the Year Tommy White, who hit 27 home runs, transfers to LSU baseball. This also happened while I was involved at a high level program, but it was a Player Development Director rolehe ended up managing later in MLB. Players were shocked. A huge bump in salary, for a job that wouldnt have been available in October, made sense. But the Twins pitching coach position makes $350,000 a year. Although they made a trade to acquire Jake Odorizzi, nobody reached their full potential until Johnson came aboard in 2019. The minimum salary for an MLB player was $570,500 in 2021, while under the new CBA, the minimum salary is now $700,000. It had been a long time since a coach had jumped to the majors without getting a minor league role. The hires arent unusual between college and pro, just not usually as high profile. Something sick in the structure for a pitching coach to make 750K at a public university in a poor state. All suing accomplishes is making it more difficult to hire coaches in the future. That happens all the time. His former coach responded with a screenshot of a tweet from college baseball reporter Kendall Rogers: Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson was leaving for the same position at LSU. University documents obtained by The Advertiser show that LSU's last pitching coach, Jason Kelly, signed a three-year, $900,000 term sheet. Even if they do try, what exactly could they do to LSU for not adhering to the ban? Its not a lot of time considering it might involve housing, and dealing with personal family matters. Why would he leave a first-place team? Good for him, man. When LSU head coach Jay Johnson was still at Arizona, the program hired Nate Yeskie from Oregon State as their pitching coach, who was also courted by the Yankees at that time. Despite that caveat, Baldelli expressed confidence in the midseason change: "Our guys will adapt well to this," he said Thursday. "I sent (the screenshot) to a couple of the other guys, and other guys had just seen it, and it spread like wildfire," Smeltzer said. "By the time I walked back to my seat, the guys are like, 'What were you talking to Rocco about?' Next. He was the first pitching coach to move from college to the MLB and is the first coach OR manager to do so since 1980. The 50-year-old and his wife, Angie, have three children: Ryan, Anna and Ava. ET. College and MLB seasons don't really track together as college play just 6 so far this season. But to go from the major leagues the pinnacle of the sport to college baseball? Now, in the middle of the season, that coach is leaving a division-leading team thats seen as a pitcher or two away from being a contender to head to the college level. Angelos says Orioles won't leave Baltimore, then scolds repo 2023 Baseball HOF preview: Best of this year's 'one-and-done Padres sign top international prospect Salas to reported $5. Correa agent Boras puzzled by New York's decision: 'I don't Report: Cubs agree to 2-year, $14M deal with Mancini, Alonso: Mets 'on the brink of something extremely special', Cubs to honor Ryne Sandberg with statue at Wrigley Field. Heres something you dont see every day. That offsets any loses and brings in a lot of money. Perhaps LSU wanted an answer right now so they would know who is going to be their pitching coach. If coaches depart midseason, it's usually because the team is losing games and staff are losing jobs. The fact that major league coaches make a fraction of what even the lowest-paid major league player makes speaks volumes to me at least about how major league organizations value coaches.