Derek Falvey out as Twins president; GM Jeremy Zoll to run baseball operations

After all the changes inside the Twins organization over the past two years, team president Derek Falvey announced another big one on Friday, Jan. 30: He was leaving the team.

Falvey has led the Twins’ baseball operations since October 2016 and the business operations since last year. He said he had discussions with owner Tom Pohlad— who succeeded his brother, Joe, as the team’s lead owner this offseason — over the past few weeks that led to the surprise announcement two weeks before the start of spring training.

Twins General Manager Jeremy Zoll will lead the baseball operations department, and Tom Pohlad will assume interim oversight of the business operations.

“Over the past several weeks, Derek and I had thoughtful and candid conversations about leadership, structure, and the future of the club,” 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.”

Falvey’s departure was framed publicly as a mutual decision to part ways. He guided the Twins to four postseason appearances, including American League Central Division titles in 2019, 2020 and 2023.

Under Falvey, the Twins ended a postseason losing streak that spanned two decades when they won a wild-card series against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023.

The next couple of years were turbulent. Twins ownership ordered the front office to slash payroll following the 2023 playoff run. The team collapsed out of the playoff picture in 2024 with a horrendous six-week stretch at the end of the season, and former GM Thad Levine departed the organization.

The Twins announced a new ownership structure in December, bringing in limited minority partners to help pay down the team’s debt. Tom Pohlad also became the leader of the ownership group.

“Ownership transitions naturally create moments for reflection and honest dialogue about leadership, vision, and how an organization wants to move forward,” Falvey said in a statement. “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.”

At a TwinsFest media luncheon on Jan. 22, Pohlad said he wasn’t comfortable giving much input on the baseball transactions — “I’m placing a lot of trust in Jeremy and Derek,” Pohlad said — as the new lead owner prioritized learning the business side of the team.

Pohlad, in a statement, said he will immediately begin a search for a new president of business operations. Falvey had succeeded longtime Twins president Dave St. Peter in that role.

Falvey’s “leadership was transformational,” Pohlad said. “He helped modernize every aspect of our baseball operations and led with strong values, intention, and purpose. Derek created a culture grounded in learning and in the belief that organizations grow when people grow. Under his leadership, the Twins captured three division titles and made four postseason appearances. We are grateful for his dedication, his integrity, and the impact he made here.”

“I’m thankful to the Pohlad family for the opportunity and the trust they placed in me, and I have tremendous confidence in the talented people across the organization,” Falvey said. “Jeremy Zoll is an outstanding baseball leader, Derek Shelton is an excellent manager, and I believe the club is well positioned for success in the years ahead.