The Inevitable Split of Derek Falvey and the Minnesota Twins

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

For months, the idea lingered quietly in the background. It showed up in subtle ways through roster decisions that felt restrained rather than ambitious and through an organizational structure that seemed increasingly muddled. On Friday, it became official when the Minnesota Twins announced that Derek Falvey and the organization were mutually parting ways. While the timing may have surprised some with spring training just around the corner, the reality is that this relationship has been drifting toward a breakup for quite some time.

When the Twins finally won their first playoff series in decades during the 2023 season, the organization looked like a franchise that had turned a meaningful corner. Payroll sat around $160 million, and ownership had committed to building around cornerstone players. Carlos Correa was locked into a long-term deal. Pablo Lopez was acquired and extended to anchor the rotation. The message was clear. The Twins were done treading water and intended to push their competitive window well into the next decade.

That momentum never carried forward. Payroll has steadily dropped since that high point and now sits just over $100 million projected for the 2026 season. The drop has been stark not only in numbers but in perception. Instead of supplementing a playoff core, the front office was forced into cost-cutting moves that chipped away at depth and flexibility. Two disappointing finishes in 2024 and 2025 followed, and the sense of progress evaporated. At times, the Twins looked less like a team building on success and more like one trying to stay afloat.

Nothing symbolized the disconnect more clearly than the Carlos Correa situation. The Twins are paying him $10 million per season to play for the Houston Astros for the next three years, an outcome that would have been unthinkable when the deal was signed. That decision reflected a franchise that had lost its direction and a front office operating within tighter constraints than ever before.

The strange handling of Falvey’s role only added to the confusion. His promotion from President of Baseball Operations to President of Business and Baseball Operations was framed as a massive vote of confidence, especially following a disappointing season. Across Major League Baseball, only a handful of executives hold that level of power, overseeing both sides of the organization. Yet it never truly felt like Falvey was running the business side. Dave St. Peter shifted into an advisor role roughly a year ago but remained highly visible around the team throughout last season. While St. Peter was expected to focus on facilitating the sale of the franchise, the process dragged on, and Falvey never appeared to fully take control of the broader operation.

Instead of clarity, the Twins operated in a gray area where authority felt shared, but accountability did not. That kind of structure rarely lasts, especially when on-field results are slipping, and financial commitment is shrinking.

Ownership change only accelerated the inevitable. Tom Pohlad officially took over the ownership role from Joe Pohlad earlier this winter, and Falvey’s departure may be the first major domino tied to that transition. Tom brings a strong business background from running other family enterprises, and it seems increasingly clear that his vision did not align with Falvey’s. Whether it was philosophy, spending priorities, or long-term strategy, the two sides were no longer moving in the same direction.

From Falvey’s perspective, the calculus is understandable. There are only so many top front office jobs across Major League Baseball, but what incentive did he really have to stay? Early in his tenure, payroll growth made it easier to envision sustained competitiveness in the AL Central. Lately, the opposite has been true. The current ownership group appears more likely to hold the club until a new CBA is approved before exploring a sale at a price they find acceptable. That limbo offers little appeal to a baseball executive tasked with building a winner.

Leaving now is far from ideal with spring training on the horizon, but staying was starting to make even less sense. The reasons that once made Minnesota an attractive long-term project were steadily disappearing. By this winter, the writing was no longer subtle. The breakup had been coming, and this offseason finally brought it to a head.

What are your thoughts on Falvey leaving? Has this been coming for some time? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[ashbury]

Zoll's first press conference should be interesting.  I don't recall anything until now telling me that he's ready for prime time.  Nothing in the other direction either - he's been mainly a pleasant behaving cipher.  Now it's go time for him, and the franchise.

[TheLeviathan]

A strange article to post only hours after the decision and only days after a string of articles that praised the "machine" they were building....

[Doc Munson]

One interesting thing will be Joe Ryan, Is he more likely to be traded now? Falvey stated none of the big 3 would be traded.  Was that a FAlvey decision or a Pohlad decision?  With other top FA pitching signed Ryan could command a haul.  And after initially not agreeing on a deal, Ryan was heading towards ARB, until a recent deal took place.  What changed there? and was that a foreshadowing?

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Falvey was given marching orders - here's how much you spend, here's the players you trade, etc.. It will be no different with Zoll. Just hope he does a better job in executing those orders than Falvey did.

[tony&rodney]

9 minutes ago, Cody Christie said:

What are your thoughts on Falvey leaving? Has this been coming for some time?

The constant focus on payroll does not obscure the fact that Falvey sat on his hands each of the last 3 offseasons. Was he waiting to be fired? I don't know about that but we can look to teams like Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and others who also face legitimate financial challenges and make moves beyond waiver wire deals and signing whatever players remain in late January/early February. The late July trades were head scratchers from around baseball. Yes, there were some decent prospects returned but it wasn't at all clear what the goal was when nothing followed in the remaining months up to today. 

All of October, November, and December we were told that the Twins did not know what their payroll budget would be for 2026. The public doesn't really need to know but there should still be a plan. Other teams make tough decisions. Tampa Bay traded Brandon Lowe. Milwaukee traded Freddy Peralta. The Twins? Nothing. Edward Cabrera was available. Others too. The Twins have an unbalanced roster. I have no problem with any one player but the composition of the team is not viable at this point in time. We have seen very little work being done to address the roster. 

We don't know what caused this decision to be made now. Tom Pohlad visited several players and has spoken to season ticket holders or so we are told. This could be among the reasons. There is no doubt in my mind that moving from AL Central high payrolls back into the morass of teams hovering within $20M of a $100M payroll is restrictive to finding the favored free agents. It does not preclude one from seeking alternative solutions. Falvey, through his actions during the last three winters, refused to join his brethren in Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Tampa in building rosters. He was shown the door. 

I actively opposed the sale of the Twins to Carl Pohlad  in 1984. It has been a long time since that day, water over the dam. Right now Tom Pohlad is up to his eyeballs in work at making things better for the Twins and their fans. I don't know the guy. The Pohlads have struggled with public relations. The Pohlads still own the team and the payroll is still over $100M. I would like to see some attempts at improving this team. I'm open to ideas. I think a payroll of $115M should be sufficient. Let's see what transpires in the next 6 weeks.

[Cris E]

Something drove this at this moment, and it's very likely going to come out in the next couple weeks. Whether it was spending some money on a player, trading one of the big chips or  cutting back for the year, Falvey had an idea and Zoll will be tasked with doing the opposite.  hang on to your hats.

[Dman]

I'd think given the state of things right now trading Ryan or others would be a really bad PR move given the things Tom has said to this point.  Give the guy credit as he said he wasn't going to be afraid to make tough decisions and he did just that with Falvey.

While I still think ownership is the larger problem I am not sure Falvey has done enough to keep his job.  I like Falvey, but what star players have we drafted under his watch? The team hasn't gotten much of anything out of their international signings.  They made some decent trades acquiring Sonny Gray, Pablo and Ryan, but they made just as many blunders.  His biggest moves kind of ended up to be his biggest failures with Donaldson and Correa.  They did fairly well on moves around the edges, finding bargain guys that had a good year or two, but that doesn't get you where you need to go.  

After finally winning a playoff game and then needing to reduce payroll right away did him no favors the last few years and with what little TV revenue they had cut down that hurt too.  While not completely his fault top prospects who didn't transition well were many from Kirilloff, to Lewis injuries and ineffective play doomed this teams ability to remain competitive with effective younger, cheaper players

With that track record in mind it seems like moving on is needed and a fresh perspective required.  Maybe it's all just a bunch of bad luck, but results matter and they just weren't there IMO. In the end I think Tom Pohlad made the right decision.  The fans need some level of hope and to be less focused on the failures of the past with a fresh start at the top.  I doubt much will change, but at least there is some sense of hope for the moment.

[bunsen82]

"Leaving now is far from ideal with spring training on the horizon, but staying was starting to make even less sense. The reasons that once made Minnesota an attractive long-term project were steadily disappearing. By this winter, the writing was no longer subtle. The breakup had been coming, and this offseason finally brought it to a head."

I still don't understand why now?  Why do you let him go through the winter meetings,  complete 90% of your team building for 2026,  but January 30th you have to let him go?   It makes zero sense even if the breakup was coming.  Now you are putting someone in with less qualifications,  no additional help - to fix it.   That is beyond a hail mary - extremely poor thought process and makes me even more confused than I was before.   Or,  they didn't want him to somehow have a successful season and be forced to retain him.  

I do acknowledge most of DMAN's take I agree with.   

[rv78]

37 minutes ago, Dman said:

Give the guy credit as he said he wasn't going to be afraid to make tough decisions and he did just that with Falvey.

I would have to disagree with this........ firing Falvey wasn't a tough decision. It's one that should have been done 2 years ago, or at least at the same time Rocco was shown the door.

[smartfred]

My thoughts of what happened which is not factual and just a hunch but the only thing that makes sense. Most likely happened over a week ago.

Derek: Hey Tom, it looks like the Twins are due for a mediocre season since we only signed 2 replacement level players this off-season and our bullpen still has grand canyon type holes. We have an offer on the table for Joe Ryan that involves Carson Benge and Brandon Sproat which are both top 100 guys and I think we should do it and go big for 2027.

Tom: Our attendance is already at an all-time low. Trading another fan favorite will not sit well with our season ticket holders. Our new minority owners aren't going to like another season in the red.

Derek: With the resources you've cut from me, the only chance we have is to build a team through development since we aren't going after FA's that are difference makers. I'm trying to mirror what the Brewers, Marlins, and Rays are doing because they are able to put together winning teams with less budget.

Tom: Being "just good enough" will keep the cash flow moving, and with any luck we'll make the playoffs every once in awhile. We need to keep the Twins looking like an attractive investment at all times to possible buyers.

Derek: I think we are moving in different directions. I want to find ways to win, however you're handcuffing me from the business side. This is not something I signed up for.

Tom: You know what, you're right. Lets call it a good 9 years and peace out.

[DJL44]

10 minutes ago, rv78 said:

I would have to disagree with this........ firing Falvey wasn't a tough decision. It's one that should have been done 2 years ago, or at least at the same time Rocco was shown the door.

That's when they demoted St. Peter and promoted Falvey.

[Cris E]

They had another chance six weeks ago when they changed horses in the top office.  Falvey gave them a solid enough story for a month but not a year? That makes no sense in any context. No, something else changed since then.

[DannySD]

I'm wondering if the timing has to do with the Athletic's low rating of the farm system...

[tony&rodney]

11 minutes ago, smartfred said:

My thoughts of what happened which is not factual and just a hunch but the only thing that makes sense. Most likely happened over a week ago.

Derek: Hey Tom, it looks like the Twins are due for a mediocre season since we only signed 2 replacement level players this off-season and our bullpen still has grand canyon type holes. We have an offer on the table for Joe Ryan that involves Carson Benge and Brandon Sproat which are both top 100 guys and I think we should do it and go big for 2027.

Tom: Our attendance is already at an all-time low. Trading another fan favorite will not sit well with our season ticket holders. Our new minority owners aren't going to like another season in the red.

Derek: With the resources you've cut from me, the only chance we have is to build a team through development since we aren't going after FA's that are difference makers. I'm trying to mirror what the Brewers, Marlins, and Rays are doing because they are able to put together winning teams with less budget.

Tom: Being "just good enough" will keep the cash flow moving, and with any luck we'll make the playoffs every once in awhile. We need to keep the Twins looking like an attractive investment at all times to possible buyers.

Derek: I think we are moving in different directions. I want to find ways to win, however you're handcuffing me from the business side. This is not something I signed up for.

Tom: You know what, you're right. Lets call it a good 9 years and peace out.

Not likely, even a little bit. Falvey has had numerous opportunities since 2016 to make big trades for prospects. Tampa Bay managed to convince him to send Nelson Cruz for Joe Ryan. The trade for Duran worked out. Those guys were not highly rated prospects. We do not know what happened last July. We also do not know what happened recently. We can live without the knowledge too. It was time for a change. So it goes. 

[Dman]

Reading some other sites it seems to be coming out that Falvey might have been frustrated the last few years as well.  Will be interesting to see how this shakes out.  I think it might have been necessary for both parties to part ways.

[DJL44]

13 minutes ago, Dman said:

Reading some other sites it seems to be coming out that Falvey might have been frustrated the last few years as well.  Will be interesting to see how this shakes out.  I think it might have been necessary for both parties to part ways.

I would be frustrated too if ownership said, "Spend the money to get Carlos Correa" followed by "Cut spending $30M".

[terrydactyls]

Because there have been so many postings on Twins Daily that spelled out exactly how to fix the Minnesota Twins, how many of you are updating their resumes right now and preparing to apply for Falvey's position?

[LewFordLives]

Whatever happened, the ownership/front office dynamics have created a mess. The bullpen, which was a strength, is now a glaring weakness. For some reason we have a collection of questionable left-handed hitting outfielders. We have no certainty at any infield positions. 

Maybe it's not all Falvey 's fault. Maybe the ownership gave conflicting directives on payroll. But at the end of the day Falvey has to execute within those constraints, and I just find it harder and harder to find method to his madness. My only complaint about his firing is that it should have happened at the same time as Rocco.

[Jeff K]

You can't fire the owners.  I don't really care why Falvey is gone.  I do celebrate that he is no longer making decisions for the Twins.  This off-season, the Twins have improved at catcher and....nowhere else.  It does not appear to me that Falvey was troubled by how poorly the Twins field and how their team is loaded with DH's.  Furthermore, this run of picking up mediocre, AT BEST, infielders has been frankly bizarre.  Again, he has every reason to be frustrated by ownerships handcuffs, but good grief; the roster as it is constructed is not a good team.

[smartfred]

31 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Not likely, even a little bit. Falvey has had numerous opportunities since 2016 to make big trades for prospects. Tampa Bay managed to convince him to send Nelson Cruz for Joe Ryan. The trade for Duran worked out. Those guys were not highly rated prospects. We do not know what happened last July. We also do not know what happened recently. We can live without the knowledge too. It was time for a change. So it goes. 

Not likely I agree with you.

Falvey was high on Joe Ryan before the Nelson Cruz trade and tried to obtain him previously due to his arm slot and comments made by Twins AAA hitters finding it difficult to hit against. I can't seem to find a source indicating Tampa Bay approached the Twins with the offer.

I find the timing of him leaving interesting.

Spring Training is right around the corner and the off-season is ending. Why let him hang around for so long? The timing right after one of the only significant trades that resembles something the Twins could have done is interesting. 

[Parfigliano]

57 minutes ago, smartfred said:

My thoughts of what happened which is not factual and just a hunch but the only thing that makes sense. Most likely happened over a week ago.

Derek: Hey Tom, it looks like the Twins are due for a mediocre season since we only signed 2 replacement level players this off-season and our bullpen still has grand canyon type holes. We have an offer on the table for Joe Ryan that involves Carson Benge and Brandon Sproat which are both top 100 guys and I think we should do it and go big for 2027.

Tom: Our attendance is already at an all-time low. Trading another fan favorite will not sit well with our season ticket holders. Our new minority owners aren't going to like another season in the red.

Derek: With the resources you've cut from me, the only chance we have is to build a team through development since we aren't going after FA's that are difference makers. I'm trying to mirror what the Brewers, Marlins, and Rays are doing because they are able to put together winning teams with less budget.

Tom: Being "just good enough" will keep the cash flow moving, and with any luck we'll make the playoffs every once in awhile. We need to keep the Twins looking like an attractive investment at all times to possible buyers.

Derek: I think we are moving in different directions. I want to find ways to win, however you're handcuffing me from the business side. This is not something I signed up for.

Tom: You know what, you're right. Lets call it a good 9 years and peace out.

Technically wouldn't this be the minority owners 1st season in the red.

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, DannySD said:

I'm wondering if the timing has to do with the Athletic's low rating of the farm system...

If the media’s, completely subjective, comments have any effect on how your organization is run you need to fire yourself! The Athletic stated (Twins at #21) that if Rodrguez & a couple others had some better health ……”they would be much higher”. Does tga mean they’d be 16th or 6th? Historical health seems to have little sway on what’s happening now & into this summer if people/players are healthy now.

It was a cowardly take in the Athletic!

[bunsen82]

1 hour ago, Dman said:

Reading some other sites it seems to be coming out that Falvey might have been frustrated the last few years as well.  Will be interesting to see how this shakes out.  I think it might have been necessary for both parties to part ways.

There was a question about who initiated it.   I think it was clear both sides were frustrated,  but at the end Tom says this was the best decision for both people.  Its clear this was Toms decision,  even though he wants to be wishy washy about,   So Derek was decisive that he couldn't lead the Twins???  Thats a stupid statement  anyway you cut it.  Just say you had to move in a new direction.  Falvey is receiving an exit package so can't fully comment.   

"Your making it sound more interesting than it was,  it was 2 people working together that didn't expect it,  working of 6 weeks learning each other and best interest of twins and whats in the best interest,  and this is what we were decisive about,  there wasn't 100% this is what is best for both people,  and he is ready for his next chapter personally and professionally."  

They also asked about being decisive about the future and direction.  What is going to change in the next 2-4-6 months that will change the direction of the Twins????  If you had made the decision 2 weeks ago,  why did you let Falvey continue to make signings (Caratini and trades).   Why did you have him at Twinsfest.    Additionaly, Tom said he had talked to Jeremy 2 weeks ago and then 2 days ago about taking Falveys spot.   It appears he was sent it to let him go.   He also stated he made the decision,  but the minority owners agreed - so it didn't appear to be a minority sticking point or decision.  This is fully Tom taking the reins and even stating he is basically taking over the business side in the meantime.  

Bonnes asked him about the timing and he said something like there is never a good time.  But thats also not acknowledging that this isn't a normal decision making process.   He seemed very frustrated,  but what do you expect.  

[KirbyDome89]

3 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

A strange article to post only hours after the decision and only days after a string of articles that praised the "machine" they were building....

What's even more strange is that such a...prolific...writer had the solo scoop and was able to sit on this story for months apparently. Such restraint. 

[TheLeviathan]

18 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

What's even more strange is that such a...prolific...writer had the solo scoop and was able to sit on this story for months apparently. Such restraint. 

Hindsight is essential to clickbait my friend.

[Pat]

While I understand the frustration with the job he did in some areas, it's hard  for me to be too hard on him when you consider the position that ownership put him in when the drive started to "right size" the payroll.  Pretty much a " no win" situation for him.  If you don't have the resources to do what needs to be done, how do you get it done?

[JD-TWINS]

30 minutes ago, Jeff K said:

You can't fire the owners.  I don't really care why Falvey is gone.  I do celebrate that he is no longer making decisions for the Twins.  This off-season, the Twins have improved at catcher and....nowhere else.  It does not appear to me that Falvey was troubled by how poorly the Twins field and how their team is loaded with DH's.  Furthermore, this run of picking up mediocre, AT BEST, infielders has been frankly bizarre.  Again, he has every reason to be frustrated by ownerships handcuffs, but good grief; the roster as it is constructed is not a good team.

How many “good teams” have a Team Spend of $105M in 2026, with 10% of that total going to a former player????

The “partial blame” laid at the feet of ownership with the principal blame going to Falvey just doesn’t make sense to me.

Spending 65-70% of what was spent in ‘23 and 9% of that total is being paid to Correa. It’s “Calvin Griffith Cheap” at Target Field these days!!!

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, terrydactyls said:

Because there have been so many postings on Twins Daily that spelled out exactly how to fix the Minnesota Twins, how many of you are updating their resumes right now and preparing to apply for Falvey's position?

I've been emailing the Pohlad's asking to replace them for years...Oh, Falvey's position? Less interested in working for that family, but if they still have any money left, I guess I'll take a million of it.

[DJL44]

Is there any news about a buyout in Falvey’s contract? That could explain the timing.