The Twins are turning to a rising star to help turn their baseball team around.
Derek Falvey, a 33-year-old from the Cleveland Indians organization, has been named the Twins’ Executive Vice President, Chief Baseball Officer. Falvey will direct operational strategy and oversee all aspects of the team, including coaches, contract negotiations, player development, scouting, research and development and more.
“I believe the addition of Derek Falvey to the Minnesota Twins will markedly enhance our organizational excellence and bring championship baseball back to Minnesota,” Twins Owner Jim Pohlad said in a statement.
Twins President Dave St. Peter added that Falvey could be part of the “next generation of dynamic, game-changing MLB leaders.”
OFFICIAL: #MNTwins Name Derek Falvey EVP, Chief Baseball Officer. https://t.co/DMSeDRZJO3 pic.twitter.com/wCXdT3R3yr
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 3, 2016
Falvey began his baseball career with the Indians as an intern and climbed the front office ladder before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2015. In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Indians manager Terry Francona called Falvey a rising star with a keen eye for pitching.
“If you’re asking me what Derek does, it would probably be better to say what he doesn’t do. He does everything. When I first came here, he was helping me interview pitching and hitting coaches. … We kind of got to know each other that way. I found out quickly that he had his stuff together. Over the course of time, because he’s a hard-working kid, he made it his passion to understand pitching and the delivery. We go to him a lot with questions. If he doesn’t have the answer, he’ll go find it. He’s a great resource for the coaches. … He’s a rising star in my opinion. I don’t think you’re going to talk to anyone around here who’d say he isn’t.”
“It’s a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to lead the Twins baseball operation. This is a proud, resilient franchise, and I’m eager to return championship-caliber baseball to the Twin Cities,” Falvey said in the statement. “We will work diligently and collectively to select and develop top-performers, advance our processes, and nurture a progressive culture that will make fans across Twins Territory proud.”
As Aaron Gleeman of Baseball Prospectus notes, Falvey is inheriting an above average lineup and the No. 1 pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, where the Twin could find a true staff ace for the future.
Falvey will finish the season with the Indians before joining the Twins. At that point he’ll decide interim general manager Rob Antony’s future with the Twins.
Cleveland begins postseason play against the Boston Red Sox this week in the American League Divisional Series.
