Twins part ways with lead executive Derek Falvey two weeks before spring training

The Minnesota Twins and president of baseball operations Derek Falvey have mutually agreed to end their relationship, the team announced Friday. Falvey had been executive vice president since October 2016 and was promoted to president of baseball operations in 2019.

The team has said that general manager Jeremy Zoll takes over controls of baseball operations, though it sounds like they are open to hiring a new team president.

Under Falvey, the Twins won 101 games in 2019 and won the AL Central three times (2019, 2020, 2023). They advanced to the ALDS in 2023, winning their first playoff series since 2002. 

“Over the past several weeks, Derek and I had thoughtful and candid conversations about leadership, structure, and the future of the club,” Twins executive chairman Tom Pohlad said in a statement. “We reached a shared understanding that the needs of the organization are evolving and that a leadership transition is the best way to move forward.

“I want to thank Derek for everything he has contributed to this organization. When he joined the Twins nine years ago, it was, in many ways, a watershed moment for this franchise. His leadership was transformational. He helped modernize every aspect of our baseball operations and led with strong values, intention, and purpose. …While we value our foundation, our commitment to building a championship caliber organization requires decisiveness and urgency. We will immediately begin a search for a President of Business Operations who, along with General Manager Jeremy Zoll, will report to me.” 

Added Falvey: “Following a series of thoughtful conversations with Tom that began after the ownership transition and progressed over the past few weeks, we both agreed this was the right time for us to part ways. Ownership transitions naturally create moments for reflection and honest dialogue about leadership, vision, and how an organization wants to move forward. Over the past several weeks we had those conversations openly and constructively and ultimately reached a shared understanding that this was the right step both for the organization and for me personally.”

Following the Twins’ ALDS exit in 2023, they went 82-80 in 2024 and then fell all the way down to 70-92 last season, finishing 18 games out of first place. They were one of the bigger sellers in front of the trade deadline during the 2025 season, notably dealing shortstop Carlos Correa, who still has three years and over $95 million left on his deal. 

Moving forward, the Twins don’t look like a strong contender and could end up being a seller again, whether during the season or possibly before Opening Day. They do have a possibly-strong rotation along with a foundation of good position-players like Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis. The Twins initially shut down trade speculation about Buxton and right-hander Joe Ryan in December.

This is to say that it’ll be interesting to see how the Twins move ahead, as they have several players who would make for very intriguing trade pieces.