The official explanation is easy to pin on the standings. The Minnesota Twins went 70–92, missed the playoffs, and change at the top followed. But according to an insider, Derek Falvey’s exit as President of Baseball Operations had far less to do with wins and losses and far more to do with mounting ownership pressure behind the scenes. What’s being described internally is not a routine front-office accountability move, but a calculated, sacrificial decision shaped by unrealistic expectations, financial strain, and an ownership group unwilling to fully invest while still demanding immediate results.

Falvey formally departed his role with the Twins this week, ending a tenure that now appears to have been unraveling long before the final standings were set. The situation was reportedly complicated by the organization’s financial strain following the collapse of its television deal, coupled with ownership’s push to remain competitive without committing funds to veteran leadership.

That disconnect, between expectations and resources, has become central to the story. Now, longtime Twins reporter Dan Hayes has weighed in on the situation, offering his perspective during an appearance on Foul Territory.

“This is definitely an ambitious owner who realizes that the Twins, as they have been the last couple of years, have been a sort of trainwreck. I mean, it’s hard not to look at it and say, Where were they 27 months ago. They won the playoff game for the first time in eighteen playoff games. They won their first playoff series in 21 years, and since then, they have cut payroll, fired David Popkins, Rocco Baldelli, and Thad Levine, and conducted several internal layoffs. Like, this is not the same place it was 27 months ago,” Hayes stated.

The Minnesota Twins’ change stems from their declining performance in games. Last season, they made an extremely slow start, going 0-4 in their first 4 games.

Then, the team suffered one of their most painful losses at the hands of the Houston Astros last April. Despite leading the Astros 7-1 after four innings, Chris Paddack and Willi Castro failed to sustain the momentum. Finally, Yordan Alvarez’s two-run bomb against Griffin Jax in the 9th inning tied the game. The Astros capitalized on that and won the game 9-7 against the Twins.

Lastly, the Chicago White Sox swept them in four road games in September. This included a 454-foot home run from Colson Montgomery, 4 hits from Chase Meidroth, and 3 hits from Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero. With that, the Minnesota Twins had to say goodbye to their postseason dreams for the second consecutive season.

However, that might not be the only reason for the pressures in the organization.

Financial problems might also have played a hand in changes for the Minnesota Twins. Notably, the team had an estimated $400 million -$500 million in debt, which originated from financing Target Stadium and losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Things got even more complicated for them when they were earning less than $60 million annually, making their contract one of the worst in baseball. Then their 12-year deal with Bally Sports North ended, and they had to move to MLB TV to broadcast their games. Additionally, they have also reduced their payroll for the 2026 season to around $100 million.

However, the team did not stop there.

The Twins also traded 10 players, including veteran Carlos Correa. Then, they fired manager Rocco Baldelli. Despite all this, the team’s ownership focused on winning league games. Consequently, the younger generation had no veterans to guide them. As a result, the team failed to reach the postseason.

That said, the younger members of the team might rebound and return the team to its glory days. The team has Joe Ryan, who can be part of the starting rotation. Last season, he struck out six batters in 5 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays.

In 31 games last season, he recorded 194 strikeouts. There are other members, such as Victor Caratini, Pablo Lopez, Ryan Jeffers, and Royce Lewis, who can improve the team.

While the Minnesota Twins are changing due to their increasing debts and ambitions of the owners, Derek Falvey had his own reasons for leaving the team- saving the jobs of members like Royce Lewis.

Derek Falvey’s “sacrificial” exit from the Minnesota Twins

Derek Falvey, the former President of Baseball Operations for the Minnesota Twins, has left the team after 9 seasons. Regarding the decision, he said.

“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. 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, ” Falvey stated.

Following Falvey’s departure from the Minnesota Twins, Jeremy Zoll has become the new President of Baseball Operations, and Derek Shelton has become the new team manager. With that, Falvey decided to make a “sacrificial” exit from the company so that other members, like Royce Lewis, would not lose their jobs.

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Notably, Royce Lewis struggled throughout the 2025 season. He went 0-for-20 against the Tampa Bay Rays, which led to the Minnesota Twins losing 2-7 last May. This was his sixth consecutive game without a hit as well as his 24th at-bat without a hit. Throughout 106 games last season, he recorded 13 home runs with a batting average of .237.

Derek Falvey made a “sacrificial” exit from the Minnesota Twins to give an opportunity to Royce rebound and go back to his usual self with his hitting power. Despite his struggles last season, he hit a grand slam (386-foot to the left drive) against the Chicago White Sox to help his team win the game 9-7. His consistent production this season might make him a formidable hitter and help the Twins return to competitiveness in the AL Central.

Derek Falvey reportedly led the Minnesota Twins to the modern era. He helped build the team’s information systems. Under Falvey,  l the Minnesota Twins advanced to the postseason four times. They went on to win their postseason series in 21 years with a Wild Card win against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. Unfortunately, the team experienced disappointments over the last two seasons when they failed it to make it to the postseason.

Now that Derek Falvey is gone from the Twins, it will be interesting to see whether the team can improve its performance under the new management or not.