Official: Derek Falvey Announced As Twins Executive VP and Chief Baseball Officer

[Seth Stohs]

I thought I'd start a new thread now that it is official.

 

The Twins announced, via Twitter, that Derek Falvey is their new Executive VP and Chief Baseball Officer... (as opposed to President of Baseball Operations).

 

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE:

 

MINNESOTA TWINS NAME DEREK FALVEY
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF BASEBALL OFFICER

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – Following a comprehensive, professional and inclusive search process, the  Minnesota Twins announced today that Derek Falvey will be named the club’s Executive Vice President, Chief Baseball Officer. Falvey’s new role with the Twins will be effective at the conclusion of the Cleveland Indians season. Rob Antony will maintain his role as the Twins Interim General Manager until Falvey joins the ballclub.

“I believe the addition of Derek Falvey to the Minnesota Twins will markedly enhance our organizational excellence and bring championship baseball back to Minnesota,” said Twins Owner Jim Pohlad.

Falvey, 33, has spent the last nine seasons as a member of the Cleveland Indians organization, most recently as the Assistant General Manager, a position he was named to when Chris Antonetti was named President of Baseball Operations in 2015. He spent the previous four seasons as Director of Baseball Operations after being named to the position in December of 2011.

As the newly appointed EVP/Chief Baseball Officer for the Twins, Falvey will be responsible for establishing the vision and related strategies for the club’s baseball operation. Specifically, he will oversee all aspects of the department including:  major league team, coaches, and support staff, contract negotiations, player development, scouting, research and development, medical and communications. Falvey will become the sixth head of the Twins baseball operations department, joining Calvin Griffith (1961-84), Howard Fox (1985-86), Andy MacPhail (1986-94), Bill Smith (2007-11) and Terry Ryan (1994-2007, 2011-16).

“It’s a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to lead the Twins baseball operation.  This is a proud, resilient franchise, and I’m eager to return championship-caliber baseball to the Twin Cities,” Falvey said. “We will work diligently and collectively to select and develop top-performers, advance our processes, and nurture a progressive culture that will make fans across Twins Territory proud.”

Falvey concluded, “I’d like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jim Pohlad, Dave St. Peter and the entire Pohlad family for allowing me to become part of the Twins organization.  I am now and always will be grateful to the owners, the players and the past and present leadership -top to bottom- of the Cleveland Indians.  My wife, son, and I look forward to getting started in Minnesota this fall.”

As Assistant General Manager for the Indians, Falvey assisted Antonetti and Indians General Manager Mike Chernoff in leading all areas of baseball operations, including financial, statistical, and contractual dealings, and contributed to all aspects of professional and amateur player procurement and development. He also oversaw the Advance Scouting process and worked closely with Manager Terry Francona and the Major League Coaching Staff in the day-to-day management of Major League operations.

“Throughout his baseball journey, Derek has earned a reputation as a talented executive thanks to innovation, collaboration and a relentless pursuit of individual and organizational improvement,” Twins President Dave St. Peter said. “We believe Derek represents the next generation of dynamic, game-changing MLB leaders. We expect Derek to create positive change directed at restoring our winning tradition.”

“The Twins would like to thank Jed Hughes of Korn Ferry for invaluable assistance over the past couple months,” St. Peter added. “We’d also like to acknowledge the cooperation of many MLB clubs during our process.”

Falvey’s tenure with the Indians started in 2007 when he began an internship in Baseball Operations. In his first three years with the club, Derek assisted both the Amateur and International Scouting Departments before spending the 2011 season as Assistant Director of Baseball Operations, and 2012-15 as the Director of Baseball Operations. Derek is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT where he played baseball and earned a degree in economics in 2005.

A formal introductory press conference will be scheduled at Target Field in conjunction with Falvey’s start date with the Twins. Per an understanding with Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Indians, the Twins and Falvey will refrain from further comment on this matter at this time.

[Vanimal46]

Congrats and welcome aboard Falvey! Now, let's see who's the #2 and #3 person reporting to him. 

It should be a fun off-season watching him build up the staff. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Nice! Now on to the GM search!

 

What are odds he'll keep Antony for a year? 25%?

 

And I won't hate that move. I won't really like it but I understand that continuity is important in the short-term. If Falvey goes into the org and says "I need to revamp minors development, analytics, and scouting", it makes sense if he doesn't want to replace the GM until he's able to dig into whatever he feels is the highest priority this offseason.

 

He can't fix everything in three months.

[gunnarthor]

Well, hopefully he is very good at his job.

[mazeville]

Good luck, Mr. Falvey. We wish you immense success. In fact, we plead daily for your immense success.

[Mike Sixel]

Good luck, and welcome to the team!

[gunnarthor]

 

Nice! Now on to the GM search!

 

What are odds he'll keep Antony for a year? 25%?

 

 

100%.  As Reusse noted, Falvey doesn't have a ton of old-hands to rely on.  He'll need some of the Twins FO to stick around.  My guess is that Falvey does more adding than subtracting but next years FO will keep Antony, Radcliff and Steil for sure and Johnson might still be the draft guy.

[TheLeviathan]

Good luck, you got your hands full sir!

[Halsey Hall]

First thing that needs to be done is introduce Twins Daily to him. 

[wavedog]

Since he won't start until Cleveland is eliminated and I want him to start as soon as possible - I guess I will be a Red Sox fan for the next week.    

[Vanimal46]

 

First thing that needs to be done is introduce Twins Daily to him. 

We don't want to scare him off yet... Maybe once he's settled in after a month or 2. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Since he won't start until Cleveland is eliminated and I want him to start as soon as possible - I guess I will be a Red Sox fan for the next week.    

 

Never.

[nicksaviking]

 

100%.  As Reusse noted, Falvey doesn't have a ton of old-hands to rely on.  He'll need some of the Twins FO to stick around.  My guess is that Falvey does more adding than subtracting but next years FO will keep Antony, Radcliff and Steil for sure and Johnson might still be the draft guy.

 

I'd understand if quite a few of the current staff are kept, but keeping Anthony is a hard sell for me. If they keep the band together with Anthony still as GM, it seems to me Falvey will be doing a lot of "teaching", as all reports are that this team is so far behind the times.

 

I want the collaboration of strong baseball minds to begin now, not after Falvey teaches these guys his way of thinking. To me that means that he has to bring in another modern mind as GM now; either he or the new GM may be more focused on day-to-day operations while the other is preoccupied with getting those that remain from the last regime up to speed. I don't want Falvey to be a one man show here.

 

I mean this team is going to have the #1 pick, likely the biggest draft pool and international draft pool and perhaps two of the most sought after veterans available on the trade market. If this team needs a diverse group to make up a think tank to drive the future, this is the year it is needed most.

[Kwak]

Mr. Falvey's title is a puffed-up handle for General Manager, thus there is no reason to have a position called General Manager--much less a position staffed by a rival of Mr. Falvey. Anthony should be given his "golden parachute" before the press conference introducing Falvey. If Mr. Pohlad wants nearly all of the current staff (sans Anthony) retained, he needs to loosen the purse strings and permit Mr. Falvey a sufficiently large budget to add as many positions as Falvey wants. 

[gunnarthor]

 

I'd understand if quite a few of the current staff are kept, but keeping Anthony is a hard sell for me. If they keep the band together with Anthony still as GM, it seems to me Falvey will be doing a lot of "teaching", as all reports are that this team is so far behind the times.

 

I want the collaboration of strong baseball minds to begin now, not after Falvey teaches these guys his way of thinking. To me that means that he has to bring in another modern mind as GM now; either he or the new GM may be more focused on day-to-day operations while the other is preoccupied with getting those that remain from the last regime up to speed. I don't want Falvey to be a one man show here.

 

I mean this team is going to have the #1 pick, likely the biggest draft pool and international draft pool and perhaps two of the most sought after veterans available on the trade market. If this team needs a diverse group to make up a think tank to drive the future, this is the year it is needed most.

I don't think Antony will be GM.  I think Falvey might bring in another guy for that.

[nicksaviking]

 

I don't think Antony will be GM.  I think Falvey might bring in another guy for that.

 

Works for me.

 

I also wonder if Falvey's title was based on a reluctance to re-title St. Peter. It seems a little odd since St Peter is really not in charge of Baseball Operations but instead in charge of Business Operations. I wonder what the reasoning behind that non-move is. It's not like he'd have to take a pay cut or have his status changed.

[Winston Smith]

Good luck!

 

[HitInAPinch]

"The Twins announced, via Twitter, that Derek Falvey is their new Executive VP and Chief Baseball Officer... (as opposed to President of Baseball Operations)."

 

fargin' iceholes......

[HitInAPinch]

Pretty sure Falvey will be bringing in a few people from Cleveland...

[nicksaviking]

 

Pretty sure Falvey will be bringing in a few people from Cleveland...

 

Could those people please be Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco?

[Doomtints]

Possibly the worst kept secret in history.  

[Mike Sixel]

 

Could those people please be Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco?

great post, sir, great post. Now wake up from your dream.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Mr. Falvey's title is a puffed-up handle for General Manager, thus there is no reason to have a position called General Manager--much less a position staffed by a rival of Mr. Falvey.

I don't buy this at all. Baseball, like all other sports, continues to become more complex, leading to more positions within one organization. The PBO and GM can and should have different roles. One is an strategist, the other implements the strategy.

 

There's a reason why more franchises adopt this model by the year. Do we really want the person in charge negotiating contracts, taking weekly interviews, and acquiring/releasing MiLB organizational filler? Or do we want that person implementing analytics, scouting, and development strategies on a large scale?

[HitInAPinch]

 

Could those people please be Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco?

I'll give him a call as soon as he gets a phone  

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Since he won't start until Cleveland is eliminated and I want him to start as soon as possible - I guess I will be a Red Sox fan for the next week.    

I know this is facetious, but -- I'd rather not have our new hire come straight from a Twins circa 2003-2010 quick playoff exit...

[drivlikejehu]

I think the chances are very, very low Antony stays on as GM. After all, before Ryan was let go, Antony was an assistant GM; even if he stayed around, it would make much more sense for him to go back to that title. [edit: Didn't realize he was already reported as out of the running for GM].

 

My guess is that early on we'll see a mix . . . some guys stay in their current role, some change roles, some will be gone, as well as new people coming in from outside of course.

 

I'd also guess that the #3 F.O. position will be a newly-created one, filled by someone from outside. 

[Linus]

I thought I saw a beredino note that Antony is not being considered for the GM job.

[Kwak]

 

I don't buy this at all. Baseball, like all other sports, continues to become more complex, leading to more positions within one organization. The PBO and GM can and should have different roles. One is an strategist, the other implements the strategy.

 

There's a reason why more franchises adopt this model by the year. Do we really want the person in charge negotiating contracts, taking weekly interviews, and acquiring/releasing MiLB organizational filler? Or do we want that person implementing analytics, scouting, and development strategies on a large scale?

You just described the roles of DSP (strategist) and Falvey (operations)--sort of like CEO and COO.

 

Second, Falvey isn't (per the tweet) President (of baseball operations), he is Executive Vice President ( a puffed-up Vice President--see your local bank for another example) of Baseball Operations. Please consider that Ryan's title was also "Vice President" and the titles of others (Personnel and Minor League) also had the moniker "Vice President". Kind of like the banks... . So, Falvey's title is simply an embellishment of Ryan--unless--Falvey's job is really Figurehead and Fall-Guy, while the "old guard/fraternity/old boy's club" continue running everything. Time will tell.

[USAFChief]

First thing that needs to be done is introduce Twins Daily to him.

no need. We've been PMing for weeks now. He's a big game thread fan and is already tentively on board for game thread duty several games next year. I Didn't want to promise him more until we see the quality of his writing.

[Vanimal46]

 

no need. We've been PMing for weeks now. He's a big game thread fan and is already tentively on board for game thread duty several games next year. I Didn't want to promise him more until we see the quality of his writing.

I'm sure he nearly peed his pants from laughter after reading all of the Major League references during the Cleveland series.