Twins general manager Terry Ryan has been relieved of his duties and is being replaced by assistant GM Rob Antony, the Twins announced Monday.
In a statement, Ryan said he is “disappointed we were unable to bring Minnesota a third World Championship.”
Twins CEO Jim Pohlad commended Ryan, saying it’s “impossible to overstate his contribution to our game” while adding that the “decision to part ways with Terry was difficult, painful and not obvious.”
Minnesota Twins announce GM Terry Ryan has been relieved of his duties. Assistant GM Rob Antony as Interim GM. pic.twitter.com/LF2iYotKZ9
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 18, 2016
This is just the second time the Twins have fired a general manager since the franchise moved to Minnesota from Washington, D.C.
“I leave the GM post with immense pride in being part of the Twins organization for the better part of three decades,” Ryan added. “I’m grateful for the leadership opportunities provided by the Pohlad family; the collaboration and talents of my colleagues in the front office; the hard work and dedication of our manager, coaches and clubhouse personnel; the commitment and professionalism of our players; the passion and attention to detail of our minor league staff and scouts; and most importantly, the incredible support of our fans. It’s been an honor to be part of the Twins organization and I wish everyone nothing but the best going forward.”
The Twins are 33-58 and on the verge of a sixth straight season without a trip to the playoffs.
Ryan’s history with the Twins
Ryan has essentially served as the mastermind behind the Twins’ rosters since 1994, but he was a player – a pitcher – in the Twins minor league system during the mid-70s.
After his playing days were over he took over as GM in 1994 and stayed in that position through the 2007 season. He retired and came back to replace Bill Smith following the 2011 season.
Smith is the only other GM in Twins history to be fired.
Extensive GM search beginning
According to MLB Network insider Jon Morosi, the Twins are expected to begin their search for a new GM in the “coming weeks.”
#Twins will not wait until offseason to begin GM search. They are expected to consider candidates in the coming weeks. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 18, 2016
The timing of the move gives now-acting GM Rob Antony just two weeks to operate before the MLB trade deadline hits on Aug. 1. Plenty of Twins players have been thrown in the rumor mill, including starting pitcher Ervin Santana and infielders Trevor Plouffe and Brian Dozier, among others.
