Pitching coach Wes Johnson leaving Twins for LSU
Normally when a coach leaves a team in the middle of a season, it's because the coach was fired. That's not the case for Wes Johnson, who left the Minnesota Twins midseason to coach at the collegiate level.
Johnson, who has been the Twins' pitching coach since 2019, is departing from Minnesota to hold the same job with the Louisiana State University Tigers. He previously coached the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Arkansas Razorbacks and was reportedly the first college coach in decades to make the jump to the big leagues.
"Wes Johnson has been an integral part of our organization over the last three and a half seasons and has helped guide our pitchers at the highest level," Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said in a team statement. "His leadership, insight, creativity, and ability to effectively work across a diverse team were hallmarks of his time with the Minnesota Twins. His influence and impact will continue to be realized in Minnesota through the pitchers and staff members he helped mentor. We wish him and his family all the best during his next stop at LSU."
According to multiple reports, Johnson is departing because LSU offered him a substantial amount of money. The Athletic reported over the weekend that LSU will pay him $750,000, a large jump from the $350,000 he has been making as part of the Twins coaching staff. CBS Sports notes that Johnson isn't the first MLB coach to make this move, as others have left the big leagues for college jobs that have higher pay and better schedules.
Johnson will reportedly stay with the Twins through the end of this week's four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians. Minnesota is currently in first place in the AL Central, just two games ahead of Cleveland.
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