More major organizational changes are underway for the Twins. After general manager Thad Levine stepped down earlier in the offseason and chairman Joe Pohlad announced his intent to explore a sale of the franchise, president and CEO Dave St. Peter announced that he is stepping down after 22 years and moving into an advisory role. Derek Falvey will assume many of St. Peter’s duties and now hold the title of both president of baseball and business operations. Falvey, who’s been running Minnesota’s baseball operations since 2016, will have a new general manager working alongside him as well. The Twins promoted assistant GM Jeremy Zoll to the GM role that was vacated when Levine left the organization.
“This is a difficult decision because this [team] has been my life,” St. Peter tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Phil Miller. “This has been my journey. I’ve given everything I have to this organization and have been proud to do it. … I feel truly convicted that Derek is the right successor, and I want to support him in every way and set him up for success, hopefully, over the long haul. The move is important because it signals, I’m hoping, to the broader organization and to our partners that there is stability and continuity.”
Falvey was originally hired away from Cleveland, where he’d been an assistant general manager. The Twins initially tabbed him with the seldom-used “chief baseball officer” title before promoting him to president of baseball operations and extending him in 2022. St. Peter tells Miller that Falvey has been preparing for a shift of this type for years, participating in discussions and meetings regarding the team’s business, media and partnerships for some time.
Similarly, Falvey explained to Miller how Zoll, 34, has been taking on a larger role in baseball operations over the years. Per Falvey, Zoll ran point on numerous free-agent and trade negotiations, including Minnesota’s acquisition of right-hander Sonny Gray back in 2022. A product of Pennsylvania’s Haverford College, Zoll has been working in baseball ops for more than a decade. He worked with the Reds and Blue Jays before joining the Angels as their director of advance scouting in 2014 and then moving onto the Dodgers, where he held the title assistant director of player development. Falvey hired Zoll as the Twins’ director of minor league operations in 2017, and he was elevated to assistant general manager two years later.
“I’ve always tried to throw myself at whatever opportunity was in front of me to the best of my ability,” Zoll tells Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. “When this all finally came to pass, it’s in a real way a validation of a lot of hard work and being able to know that so many people around me have been able to help accomplish a lot of successes to put me in this position.”
Changes atop the organizational hierarchy are only part of the story in a transitional time for the Twins organization. In addition to front office shuffles and the looming potential of a sale, Minnesota dismissed four members of manager Rocco Baldelli’s coaching staff and severed ties with Diamond Sports Group/Bally Sports, turning broadcast rights directly over to Major League Baseball. The Twins (re)hired Matt Borgschulte away from the Orioles to serve as their hitting coach but still have multiple vacancies to fill. Given the fact that Falvey’s role is growing and Levine’s title has been filled internally, it’s also possible there’ll be some additional hirings in the baseball operations department to help shoulder some of the workload there.
Seamaholic
There are a lot of warning signs around baseball right now. A LOT. The RSN collapse is causing ripple effects that are pretty deeply problematic.
mlb fan
“Warning signs around baseball”…Not to disagree, but I’ve been hearing that one since the 1980’s.
And by the way, the cable cord cutting of TENS of MILLIONS of Americans is affecting many sports, not just baseball. Have you seen how many people that ESPN has laid off in just the last 5 years?
YankeesBleacherCreature
The sport is healthy with revenue growth,
consumer demand, attendance, sponsorships, etc. The RSN fallout is temporary and can be chalked up as business restructuring which most large business entities have experienced. These things take time.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Hey Hey Hey St Peter
Bart Harley Jarvis
The Flash in the Pan classic!
Bart Harley Jarvis
It’s not hard to see how someone rises to the top of an organization with a name like ‘St. Peter’. But it might also be a burden…
Blackpink in the area
I wonder how someone rises to the top of a baseball organization with a name like Fernandez. Seems like it’s just for old white men.
Bart Harley Jarvis
Jesus Fernandez?
ohyeadam
He wasn’t good at his job. Twins had the worst tv deal in the sport until they had no tv. 6/7 of “Twins Territory “ is blacked out. Someone else can do better
Old York
It would be interesting if the sabermetric nerds have developed data to analyze the production level of their CEOs, GMs, owners, backhouse, etc. I’d imagine it’s not public knowledge but probably someone has that information.
Bart Harley Jarvis
Jeremy Zoll, the pride of Haverford College!
Old York
@Bart Harley Jarvis
Haverford College › Undergraduate tuition and fees
63,628 USD
Harvard University › Undergraduate tuition and fees
57,261 USD
Agreed, Haverford College is a much better institution It would actually embarrass me if I told people I attended Harvard..
Bart Harley Jarvis
Good on you, OY! A little bragging does the soul some good. Go Crimson!
My deep connection to Haverford College is that I once lived across Ardmore Avenue from the campus. Good times, good times…
Old York
@Bart Harley Jarvis
I only joke. I never finished grade 5. Middle-School drop out!
mlb fan
Very interesting take, Old York. I think you may be onto something. The player’s worth is measured by analytics but the executive’s worth is not.
stymeedone
Do you really think the executive is going to authorize an analysis of HIS job?
twozero6ix
Twins wasting a lot of talent and a solid team, such a shame.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Weird ass Minehaha twinkies. Robbing St. Peter to pay St. Paul
ChangedName
As long as they’re in the AL Central, they have a shot to be good.
stymeedone
Don’t discount the strongest division in the AL. It claimed three playoff spots in 2024! Yes, they played a few extra games against the White Sox, but only played one series against the Marlins and Rockies. Its a pretty balanced schedule these days.
Bdd1967
The more things change…the more they remain the same. Third tier free agent signings. Injured star players. No money being spent by one of the richest owners in pro sports. Build it and they will come. We came…and your product is substandard. As usual.
Jacksson13
If A-Rod doesn’t get to own the Timberpuppies,
The Twinkies can be the consolation prize.
OR
If Taylor DOES sell the Timberpuppies,
He can plunk his $haul$ down on the Twinkies.