Texas Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine could be the next general manager of the Minnesota Twins, according to multiple reports.
The Star Tribune’s La Velle E. Neal III was the first to report, while multiple others – including mainstream media in Dallas – have validated the report. An announcement isn’t expected until after the World Series, but the 45-year-old is Minnesota’s top candidate, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says.
Confirming report that #Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine is top candidate to be next Twins GM. Source: Premature to call hire official.
— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) October 26, 2016
Levine’s strongest attribute is his interpersonal dynamics, according to DallasNews.com,
Levine did a Ask Me Anything on Reddit a couple of years ago and described his job with the Rangers as “negotiating contracts, trades, scouting and assisting in player development.”
The Reddit session includes a lot of great insight from Levine about baseball analytics, social media’s impact on trades and a lot more. Levine said the Rangers and other teams around the league use sites like FanGraphs and Baseball Reference to gather as much information as possible – the analytical area of the game that many believe the Twins are behind in.
“It has been tremendous,” Levine said of the analytical approach, via Reddit. “Any additional piece of information that we can use to help refine our decision making process is great for the game.”
When asked about getting big-name pitching to come to Texas — notorious for hot weather and a hitter’s ballpark — he said, “Turns out playing for a winner is an amazing aphrodisiac.”
If hired, Levine would work under new chief baseball officer Derek Falvey, who will join the Twins’ front office after the World Series. Falvey, hired Oct. 3, is currently the assistant general manager of the American League champion Cleveland Indians.
Hiring of Thad Levine will be a great move for Minnesota Twins. Understands scouting & stats, but is even better at interpersonal dynamics
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) October 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/BenRogers/status/791140176756150272
