Article: Reports: Twins Leaning Toward Falvey As Baseball Ops Chief

[Nick Nelson]

Soon after dismissing longtime general manager Terry Ryan, the Minnesota Twins indicated that they'd be transitioning to a new front office structure, wherein the GM reports to a president of baseball operations.

 

Several sources strongly indicate that their search for a new front office leader will soon lead to the hiring of Cleveland Indians assistant GM Derek Falvey.Falvey is known to be one of the finalists for the position. TD contributor Jeremy Nygaard tweeted on Sunday that he hears Falvey is the likely choice. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports tweeted on Monday that Falvey is the "distinct favorite." Twins Daily has heard the same from sources within both the Twins and Indians organizations. With the end of the season less than a week away, an official announcement could come soon.

 

UPDATE: Keith Law of ESPN.com has provided definitive confirmation:

 

If Falvey is the guy, what would his hiring mean?

 

Given the visionary nature of the position, his age and experience are noteworthy. He's only 33, and his highest rank has been assistant GM, which is current his job title with Cleveland. Before his promotion to that role a year ago, he was the organization's director of baseball operations for four seasons. Sound familiar?

 

During his relatively short time in a major-league front office, Falvey has built a strong reputation. Passan noted in the past that the potential new Twins boss is "extremely well-regarded in (the) industry." Last summer, Passan wrote that Falvey "oversees the Indians’ whole pitching program."

 

That program has produced a division winner this year, powered by a pitching staff ranked second in the American League in ERA. Given the Twins' desperate need to improve in run prevention, Falvey's area of expertise makes him a very logical candidate. While he would now oversee Minnesota's baseball operations, presumably there will be a collaborative decision-making approach within the front office.

 

The Twins might borrow the same blueprint that the Indians put into place last year. At that point, they moved former general manager Chris Antonetti up to President of Baseball Ops while naming Mike Chernoff GM and Falvey his assistant. I wouldn't be surprised to see Minnesota employ a similar three-legged structure, and I also wouldn't be surprised if Rob Antony stayed on in one of those lesser roles so as to maintain some sense of continuity.

 

If Falvey is pegged for the top spot, the next steps will be identifying the hierarchy beneath him. We should receive more details to that end in the coming days and weeks. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for updates.

 

What would you think of this hire?

 

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[nytwinsfan]

https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/780429674497339393

[mazeville]

I sure hope they're not hiring the young guy so he wouldn't be as strong and therefore wouldn't make the top-to-bottom changes this organization needs.

 

In other words, my fear here is that Falvey would be more prone to keep Antony and many others in the Twins' org while simply employing some of the strategies he used in Cleveland.

 

In my view, this team needs an absolute overhaul of its front office. Keep some people if you need, but the new POBO has to bring a new culture and a new way of doing things. Period.

[BobAzar]

So...is he Jonah Hill? or who was he in Moneyball?

/s

[SF Twins Fan]

I'm just glad it's someone from outside the organization!

[glanzer]

It just kills me that Falvey is younger than me. What have I done with my life!?

[Han Joelo]

As long as he is a blazer but no tie guy, I am good. No ties, but tie dye under the blazer would be ok.

[nytwinsfan]

 

It just kills me that Falvey is younger than me. What have I done with my life!?

 

Same.

[markos]

Hard to know right now if this is a good pick or not, but I'm cautiously optimistic. A lot will depend on who stays/goes in the org, and who he brings in from the outside. I feel like we will know more in another month.

[d-mac]

I'm a bit disappointed it's not McLeod. 

[nytwinsfan]

wut?

 

[Nick Nelson]

 

wut?

 

If they're not ready to make an official announcement, it only makes sense that this would be the word given to their official team beat guy. 

[nytwinsfan]

 

If they're not ready to make an official announcement, it only makes sense that this would be the word given to their official team beat guy.

Ok, fair enough. Funny how the Twins are so good at preventing leaks about some things, but not others. I guess maybe because this is the biggest announcement in a while, at least since Molitor.

[nicksaviking]

"and I also wouldn't be surprised if Rob Antony stayed on in one of those lesser roles so as to maintain some sense of continuity."

 

As far as I'm concerned, there needs to be no attempt made to maintain any continuity. If having no continuity leads to chaos and anarchy in the first year, well, it wouldn't look any different than what we have now. Blow. It. Up.

 

I'm also still not sold on the idea that Molitor is a lock to be back. For those that have been clamoring for Sandy Alomar Jr., well here's your conduit.

[dxpavelka]

I think it doesn't matter what anybody reading this thinks.  Get back to me in 3-8 years.

[Winston Smith]

Has he fixed the pitching yet?

[Craig Arko]

I can wait for the ink on the contract to dry before declaring the zombie apocalypse.

 

And to some of the other posters; don't second guess your lives that way. That path leads to the Dark Side.

[operation mindcrime]

Congratulations Derek Falvey! I like that he's young and he'll bring fresh new ideas to the organization. Maybe the GM will be in his 20's. I'm happy that he uses analytics. I really want him to clean house and that definitely includes Antony, Steil, Rantz and Deron Johnson this should be the first order of business! I hope he fires the entire coaching staff. I also want him to fire all of the minor league staffs. Fire all of our roving instructors. Our country club atmosphere must end starting today. Keep Audra Martin! Do we still have the Fox Sports North Girls? If not bring them back and have them wear outfits like Alary's, Hooters and Wild Bill's! On a final note TC Bear should be fired on October 2nd immediately following the game! \m/

[prouster]

 

I sure hope they're not hiring the young guy so he wouldn't be as strong and therefore wouldn't make the top-to-bottom changes this organization needs.

 

In other words, my fear here is that Falvey would be more prone to keep Antony and many others in the Twins' org while simply employing some of the strategies he used in Cleveland.

 

I don't think this will be an issue. If they wanted to maintain the status quo, they would have hired Rob Antony.

[sthpstm]

 

If they're not ready to make an official announcement, it only makes sense that this would be the word given to their official team beat guy. 

And Berardino got the same quote. Do you think the article on the Twins website would be there if it weren't all but complete?

[Craig Arko]

 

Congratulations Derek Falvey! I like that he's young and he'll bring fresh new ideas to the organization. Maybe the GM will be in his 20's. I'm happy that he uses analytics. I really want him to clean house and that definitely includes Antony, Steil, Rantz and Deron Johnson this should be the first order of business! I hope he fires the entire coaching staff. I also want him to fire all of the minor league staffs. Fire all of our roving instructors. Our country club atmosphere must end starting today. Keep Audra Martin! Do we still have the Fox Sports North Girls? If not bring them back and have them wear outfits like Alary's, Hooters and Wild Bill's! On a final note TC Bear should be fired on October 2nd immediately following the game! \m/

And please don't forget to burn down the stadium and move to Mexico City while you're at it.

[wavedog]

I like the hire - hope he does get named this week so we can start on the reconstruction as soon as possible.  I love baseball but I have never been so ready for a season to be over.

[GCTF]

Falvey came to his interview wearing this. Jim canceled everyone else's appointments.

 

 

 

http://rlv.zcache.com.au/100_loveable_t_shirt-r2d49d9a868514169a6cb1891275a30d7_wilhw_324.jpg

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

I really want him to clean house and that definitely includes Antony, Steil, Rantz and Deron Johnson this should be the first order of business! I hope he fires the entire coaching staff. I also want him to fire all of the minor league staffs. Fire all of our roving instructors. 

 

I am fairly certain you're going to be disappointed. The impression I get is that most of the employees think they'll probably be retained for a year. I'm sure there will be more changes than a typical off-season, but there won't be sweeping changes... yet.

 

The scoreboard operator might be the only person that Falvey comes in and immediately gets rid of.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I don't think this will be an issue. If they wanted to maintain the status quo, they would have hired Rob Antony.

It's not a binary, either-or thing.  There are degrees of maintaining the status quo, and one of those degrees would be hiring a less aggressive outside candidate.

 

I don't share that particular fear of Falvey at this point, however.

[TheLeviathan]

Huzzah for new ideas!

[nicksaviking]

 

I am fairly certain you're going to be disappointed. The impression I get is that most of the employees think they'll probably be retained for a year. I'm sure there will be more changes than a typical off-season, but there won't be sweeping changes... yet.

 

 

 

You've givin me a headache.

http://www.bizchickblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/stirring-the-pot.gif

 

[John Bonnes]

From the outside and at a high level, there's a lot to like about this hire:

1) The Twins biggest obvious concern is pitching, and Cleveland has one of the best reputations for developing pitching in MLB.

2) Cleveland also has a reputation as an analytical and even adventurous culture, running counter to the Twins more traditional and non-analytical reputation.

3) CLE also has a newer model than the Twins in terms of how the organization is structured, which I'm assuming (maybe incorrectly) is an expanded model that the Twins could learn from.

 

Those are very high-level views and mostly about the organization he comes from. None of them are worth anything if he can't manage the position,  but that's what the search process and firm are for, and we do know that he's young, hungry and smart. He certainly rocketed up their organizational ranks, which shows something all by itself. and he was also clearly respected by the Korn-Ferry search firm, to tag him in the first place.

 

There's a lot to like here. I'll be very interested in seeing what happens next. 

[gunnarthor]

There are certainly people and departments that should stay.  Keith Law mentioned that the next GM needed to provide an analytics to the baseball operations but he did praise the minor league development ops.  I suspect the new PBO and GM will make a few changes this year and a few more next year.  But I think the biggest changes will be bringing new people in instead of firing people.  

[Mike Sixel]

 

Has he fixed the pitching yet?

 

You should read the Jeff Sullivan tweets on this....