Former Twins Senior Advisor Deron Johnson Hired by Mets

[Cody Christie]

Deron Johnson did not stay unemployed for very long. The former Minnesota Twins scouting director is joining the New York Mets as a special assignment scout, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon. The move brings Johnson back together with Derek Falvey, who joined the Mets in September as a senior advisor to baseball operations.

Johnson recently parted ways with the Twins after the organization eliminated his senior advisor position. His departure ended a 32 year run with Minnesota, where he worked in nearly every area of the scouting department and helped oversee several amateur drafts. Now, Johnson will have an opportunity to continue his scouting career with another organization looking to improve its baseball operations department.

A Long History in Minnesota

Johnson originally joined the Twins in January 1994 as an area scout covering Northern California. He worked his way through the organization, eventually becoming the club’s West Coast supervisor before receiving a promotion to scouting director in September 2007.

He held that position through the 2016 season, overseeing nine amateur drafts. During that stretch, Minnesota selected several first round picks who generated significant attention within the organization.

The Twins selected Aaron Hicks with the 14th overall pick in 2008, Johnson’s first draft as scouting director. Four years later, Minnesota made Byron Buxton the second overall selection in the 2012 draft. Other notable first round picks during Johnson’s tenure included Kohl Stewart, Nick Gordon and Tyler Jay.

The results varied among those selections, but Johnson played a significant role in evaluating and acquiring amateur talent during an important period in the franchise’s history. Scouting directors must balance immediate needs with long term organizational planning, and their decisions can influence a team’s roster for years.

Following the 2016 season, the Twins moved Johnson into a senior advisor role. Although he was no longer leading the amateur scouting department, he continued evaluating players and contributing to professional, international and minor league scouting efforts.

That experience should provide a useful foundation for his next position in New York. The Mets have not publicly outlined the specific responsibilities Johnson will handle as a special assignment scout, but his decades of experience give the organization another veteran evaluator.

Reunited With Falvey

Johnson’s hiring also creates a familiar connection within the Mets organization. Falvey served as Minnesota’s top baseball operations executive for nearly a decade before the two sides mutually agreed to part ways in January 2026. The Mets hired Falvey on September 24, naming him senior advisor to baseball operations. He reports directly to president of baseball operations David Stearns, adding another experienced voice to the organization’s decision making process.

Falvey and Johnson worked together in Minnesota for years, giving the Mets an opportunity to bring in someone familiar with the former Twins executive’s approach to building a baseball organization. For Minnesota, Johnson’s departure represents another change as the club continues reshaping its baseball operations department. His position was eliminated as the organization looked toward the 2027 season, ending a tenure that began more than three decades ago.

Johnson’s time in Minnesota included multiple front office roles, nine drafts as scouting director and years of additional work behind the scenes. His next chapter will take him to New York, where he will continue evaluating talent alongside a familiar face from his long career with the Twins.

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[MeleMouth]

Could be the first of many Falvey people to follow him to New York.

Zoll is poorly-equipped to deal with the loss of Falvey people, because the bulk of his career, and thus his network, is also with Falvey people.

But, hey, he's apparently a nice guy who gets along with Tom, so a decision about replacing him probably won't be even contemplated for a few years, as opposed to the "go big" guy saying, "we need to get the best possible guy now!" Maybe the way the Twins make decisions and spend money should be termed, "A Few Hundred Days Late and Several Million Dollars Short."