MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins and general manager Thad Levine announced a mutual parting of the ways on Friday.
With his contract expiring, Levine, the Twins’ GM for the past eight years, is looking to pursue the types of larger major-league opportunities he’s previously declined. Levine’s departure was announced several days after Twins owner Joe Pohlad confirmed Derek Falvey would remain in his role as the team’s top baseball decision-maker.
“Thad’s impact on the Minnesota Twins cannot be overstated,” Falvey said in a news release. “He has been a true partner and leader, always striving to elevate the organization and care for the people around him. Thad helped create a strong team culture, one focused on excellence and collaboration, that will continue well into the future. While we will miss his leadership, we are equally excited to see the next chapter of his journey unfold, and we wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors. I want to personally thank him for everything he has done to help us get better every day.”
Hired as the GM in November 2016, Levine and Falvey signed five-year extensions with the Twins on the heels of a 101-win season in 2019, the team’s second postseason appearance in three years under the direction of the front office duo.
Several months after hiring Falvey in August 2016, the Twins brought in Levine to manage the club’s day-to-day operations, which allowed Falvey to better evaluate the entire organization in their first year running it. The move let Falvey and Levine divide the workload when communicating with baseball’s 29 other teams. Levine also handled the team’s relationships with player agents.
Falvey and Levine were introduced to one another at the 2014 GM Meetings when Cleveland’s front office met with the Texas Rangers’ group for a nightcap, Levine’s storytelling captivating the group. The familiarity of the two front offices and Levine’s sterling reputation in the industry made him stand out during an interview process Falvey mostly handled alone.
The pair became so inseparable in the early days that Twins employees and fans alike gave them the “Falvine” moniker. Though he took on a less-public facing role over the past few seasons as the Twins added more decision-makers to the player acquisitions process, Levine was front and center in the early days.
Routinely named as a possible candidate for GM and president of baseball operations opening, Levine bypassed potential interview opportunities with myriad clubs. Levine made it clear he was happy working for the Twins and his family loved calling the Twins Cities home.
But as the front office grew larger and more of the organization’s processes were fleshed out, Levine began pondering if the timing was right for a bigger role. Whereas 20 years ago a team’s GM was its top decision-maker, that’s no longer the case.
In the past few years, Levine looked harder for other opportunities. He interviewed for the Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations job that went to Dave Dombrowski in December 2020. Last year, Levine was one of the finalists for Boston’s chief baseball officer role that went to Craig Breslow.
“I am grateful to the Pohlad family, Derek Falvey and Dave St. Peter for providing me with such a comprehensive leadership opportunity spanning the last eight years of my career,” Levine said. “The time is right for me to pursue my next enriching, professional challenge. I will forever cherish the friendships that I have made in the Minnesota Twins organization and throughout Twins Territory.”
(Photo of Thad Levine in 2021: David Berding / Getty Images)
