Article: President Candidates Narrowed To Five

[Cody Christie]

Minnesota's search for a new president of baseball operations might be getting closer to completion. Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports the Twins front-office interviews could stop at five candidates. The list includes one internal option and four options with various roles throughout baseball.

 

As recently as last week, there were reports that "multiple GM types have rebuffed" the Twins interest. There are plenty of issues within the offices of 1 Twins Way and it is going to take some time to rebuild the team's infrastructure.

 

With a young core that includes the likes of Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, there are pieces to build around. Minnesota also looks to be headed toward the number one overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. This would be another cornerstone piece and an attractive incentive for a potential hire.

 

So who are the candidates and what should fans know about their credentials?Rob Antony

Current Position: Interim GM, Minnesota Twins

Antony is the only internal candidate who will be granted a formal interview for the Twins' president of baseball operations role. His interview has already been conducted and he has served as the team's general manager since Terry Ryan was fired two weeks before the trade deadline.

 

Antony was able to make a handful of deals at the deadline including dumping the contract of Ricky Nolasco. Even with this moves, it seems like the Twins are destined to look outside the organization for some new ideas and a new direction. Antony has been with the Twins since being hired as a public relations intern in 1987.

 

Jason McLeod

Current Position: Senior VP of Player Development , Chicago Cubs

Earlier this week, Buster Olney reported that McLeod "has done well in the Twins' interview process." He went on to say he is "well-regarded" and "well-positioned" in Minnesota discussions. In the days following Ryan's firing, I said the Twins should focus their attention on McLeod because of his connections to Theo Epstein. Epstein is widely regarded as the top front office mind in the game.

 

McLeod has worked with Epstein since the beginning and he has been rumored to be a candidate for multiple jobs through the years. Some of his player development successes include Dustin Pedroia, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo. He's also done a good job of finding undervalued pitchers like last year's NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta.

 

J.J. Picollo

Current Position: VP/Assistant GM-Player Personnel, Kansas City Royals

The Royals have been one of the darlings of the baseball world over the last two seasons. The Twins have gotten a first-hand look as the Royals rolled through the AL Central in 2014 and 2015 on the way to back-to-back AL pennants. He has worked with the Royals since 2006 and has held the titles of Director of Player Development and Assistant GM- Scouting and Player Development.

 

Before coming to Kansas City, Picollo worked as an Area Scouting Supervisor in the Braves organization. He worked for Atlanta from 1999-2005 with his highest title being Director of Minor League Operations. As recently as last off-season, he was a finalist for Philadelphia's GM opening.

 

Chaim Bloom

Current Position: VP of Baseball Operations, Tampa Bay Rays

After graduation from Yale University in 2004, Bloom was hired by Tampa Bay as an intern. He has moved quickly through their ranks from assistant in baseball operations to assistant director of minor league operations in 2008. Other positions he has held include director of baseball operations and vice president of baseball operations.

 

According to the Rays, his current duties include overseeing "all aspects of the baseball operations department, including the Rays international scouting efforts and both domestic and international player development." He also assists the Rays president of baseball operations with many of the day-to-day aspects of running the baseball operations side of their club. This could be vital with the Twins looking to create a new position in their organization.

 

Derek Falvey

Current Position: Assistant GM , Cleveland Indians

At 32-years old, Falvey was promoted to Cleveland's assistant general manager last October. He is in his ninth year in the Indian's organization. Before the move to his current position, Falvey spent four years as the Indian's director of baseball operations. He started his baseball career as an intern with the Indians in 2007 before moving to the role of Assistant, Scouting Operations.

 

Yahoo's Jeff Passan labeled Falvey as "emerging as a strong candidate for Minnesota Twins president job." He went on to say, "Falvey is extremely well-regarded in [the] industry." His young age and rapid rise in the Indians organization could all help his cause. The Twins don't switch front office personnel very often so a young, passionate person could hold the spot down for years.

 

Which candidate stands out to you? Who would you like the Twins to hire? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

 

Click here to view the article

[Mike Sixel]

thanks for the update!

[SF Twins Fan]

Sign Jason McLeod as the President of Baseball Operations and Derek Falvey as the GM.  It would be a promotion for both.  McLeod has the experience you'd want for the POBO and Falvey is a young and upcoming Assistant GM that could step into the larger role of GM.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Sign Jason McLeod as the President of Baseball Operations and Derek Falvey as the GM.  It would be a promotion for both.  McLeod has the experience you'd want for the POBO and Falvey is a young and upcoming Assistant GM that could step into the larger role of GM.

I am completely, unequivocally, 100% on board with this idea.

[Squirrel]

 

I am completely, unequivocally, 100% on board with this idea.

Would they, could they do this? I like the idea myself. It's not unheard of in my world when there are two positions open, one of a higher title, to offer the 'runner up' the lesser role.

[Vanimal46]

 

Sign Jason McLeod as the President of Baseball Operations and Derek Falvey as the GM.  It would be a promotion for both.  McLeod has the experience you'd want for the POBO and Falvey is a young and upcoming Assistant GM that could step into the larger role of GM.

Shut down the thread. This is the correct answer. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Sign Jason McLeod as the President of Baseball Operations and Derek Falvey as the GM.  It would be a promotion for both.  McLeod has the experience you'd want for the POBO and Falvey is a young and upcoming Assistant GM that could step into the larger role of GM.

 

I was going to say McCloud/Bloom, but I'd be pretty thrilled here too.

[Seth Stohs]

I don't have any real strong feelings about any of these. To be honest, it's impossible to know what would work best in reality. 

 

I might give a slight edge to Chaim Bloom myself. Feels like he's done more at a higher level. But again, I don't think there's a bad choice in this group. 

 

It'll be interesting to see how long after they hire a Pres of BB Ops before that person then hires a GM.

[TheLeviathan]

And here I was foolishly clicking on this thread thinking I might have some other choice than the Orange Menace or Hillary.

 

 

Depressing.  

 

I may or may not be further depressed by how strongly I agreed with the sentiments of someone whose username (in jest i'm sure) is associated with these guys.

 

 

[HitInAPinch]

 

Shut down the thread. This is the correct answer. 

Can't.  I haven't received my callback yet    

[S.]

 

I don't think there's a bad choice in this group. 

Rob Antony.

[zchrz]

Mcleod seems to be in a higher tier than the rest in experience and connections, I would focus the efforts on getting him.  

 

I really like the idea of Bloom being a young guy that started as an advanced stats analyst and rose through a forward thinking organization fast, but it might be a very tall task for a young guy on his first shot to completely change the way this org does everything.

 

Its interesting there are two guys from in the division as they have seen and dealt with the Twins more.

 

No Rob Antony, please no Rob Antony.

[70charger]

 

Rob Antony.

 

I can't have been the only one who read "The list includes one internal option and four options with various roles throughout baseball," and thought, "Oh. So four candidates then." Right?

[USAFChief]

I posted a month ago or so, semi-joking, that Rob Antony was the front runner.

 

I will be mildly surprised if he's not in one of these two positions, likely the GM chair.

[DocBauer]

I'd be very happy to have McLeod come on board. But Bloom sounds very interesting to me. Not only would he be coming from a franchise that seems to have a pretty decent reputation for how it handles things, but he's already assisting the guy there in the same role as well as performing other duties.

 

Can't say I dislike Falvey for the GM role. Still a huge promotion for him and Cleveland is doing pretty well these days.

[Willihammer]

Please, please, please move on from Ryan-Antony.

 

Clean slate.

[Squirrel]

I posted a month ago or so, semi-joking, that Rob Antony was the front runner.

 

I will be mildly surprised if he's not in one of these two positions, likely the GM chair.

As loathe as I am to agree, I do.

[USAFChief]

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/019/304/old.jpg

 

Part of me wants Mcleod only because Ashbury will eventually post a

 

"Old man yells at Mcleod" meme in response to something I say.

[S.]

 

I posted a month ago or so, semi-joking, that Rob Antony was the front runner.

 

I will be mildly surprised if he's not in one of these two positions, likely the GM chair.

This forum is going to implode if that is the case. And I'm sure if Antony is GM then Molitor will be staying as well.

[Joe A. Preusser]

I posted a month ago or so, semi-joking, that Rob Antony was the front runner.

 

I will be mildly surprised if he's not in one of these two positions, likely the GM chair.

I think it's extremely unlikely Antony gets the president position. And the new president will almost certainly choose his or her own GM. I see reassignment or another org in Antony's future.

[Champuckett]

It's good news that McLeod is considered "well positioned" after his interview.  At a minimum I hope we get him as either PBO or GM.  You never know how any of these people are going to work out and if their previous success will translate into future success with a different franchise in a different town.

 

With that said, it's no revelation to state that he has a very impressive history and the strongest connections to successful front offices of anyone in the list.  For whatever it is worth.. I would hope he could bring some of the previous magic he conjured with Epstein to a very desperate franchise in need of magic in order to be resurrected from the MLB grave.

[Intramural Legend]

Can't. I haven't received my callback yet

I'm sure you're number 6 on the list

[curt1965]

Gotta admire Anthoy for being a loyal employee. But it's more than time to look for some new blood. Get the dynamite out!

[ashbury]

 

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/019/304/old.jpg

 

Part of me wants Mcleod only because Ashbury will eventually post a

 

"Old man yells at Mcleod" meme in response to something I say.

Came here to do that, discovered it to be unnecessary.

 

[ashbury]

I'm sure you're number 6 on the list

He's not a number. He is a free man.

 

 

"Who is number 1?"

 

 

[Darius]

Antony and Bloom would on the bottom of my list.....so I'm sure one of them will get the job. I get the feeling that it'll be Antony, because that's just how the Twins operate. I'll stick with that until proven otherwise.

[Seth Stohs]

 

I posted a month ago or so, semi-joking, that Rob Antony was the front runner.

 

I will be mildly surprised if he's not in one of these two positions, likely the GM chair.

 

I will be shocked... I wouldn't actually mind it, but i would be completely shocked.

[jimmer]

 

I posted a month ago or so, semi-joking, that Rob Antony was the front runner.

 

I will be mildly surprised if he's not in one of these two positions, likely the GM chair.

Oh please no. NOOOOOOOO!

[Bark's Lounge]

I really hope it is McLeod and Jimmy Boy gives up the Molitor is our manager mantra.

 

That way, Chief can sleep at night and maybe Dave Martinez will become our next manager.

 

That will give an extremely elderly man a peace at mind and he can go into the great adios feeling pretty okay about things.

 

It's all about you Chief... it's all about you. (:

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Will this hire report to St. Peter--is that still the plan?

 

If the Twins make an outside hire, I don't see what leverage they have insisting that Molitor remain manager. Personally I'd like to keep Molitor as an instructor. He got high marks for that.