Twins introduce front-office duo Falvey, Levine

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins had to wait until after the World Series concluded to make it official, but a new era of Minnesota Twins baseball was ushered in on Monday.
The club formally introduced the top two members of its revamped front office at Target Field, welcoming chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine. Falvey, who had served as an assistant general manager for the Indians, was hired on Oct. 3, while Levine, who was an assistant GM for the Rangers, was hired on Thursday.
"This is an exciting day for the Minnesota Twins' organization. I think it represents a dawn of a new era of the franchise," Twins president Dave St. Peter said. "I think it represents a significant step forward in restoring our winning tradition."
Falvey, who spent the past nine seasons with the Indians, replaces long-time general manager Terry Ryan, who was dismissed in July. The 33-year-old officially joined the Twins after Cleveland ended its season with a World Series loss in seven games.

Falvey used the word "collaboration" throughout his press conference, as he indicated it'll be a group effort from the front office and coaching staff to help get the Twins back into contention, much like the way the Indians operate their organization. He also opted not to put a timetable on when he believes the Twins can compete after their 103-loss season, but noted the organization has plenty of young talent and that turnarounds can happen quickly.
"It's an honor to be sitting here today, to join the Twins' family both on the field and in the community," said Falvey, who was joined by his parents, sister, wife and son at the press conference. "This is one of the most proud, resilient franchises in baseball, and it has one of the most knowledgeable fan bases and one of the best ownership groups."
Levine, 44, had been an assistant GM for the Rangers since 2005. In his role with the Rangers, he helped GM Jon Daniels with player acquisitions, contract negotiations, roster management, statistical analysis and was also in charge of their international scouting department. He also previously worked with the Rockies for six years and the Dodgers for one.

Falvey, who has known Levine for six years, made the GM hire, and owner Jim Pohlad said he didn't even meet Levine for the first time until Sunday night. Levine wasn't one of the five original candidates for the chief baseball officer role that went to Falvey.
Levine also discounted the notion that it was a lateral move from the Rangers to the Twins, saying he was excited about the chance to work with Falvey and build a sustainable, winning franchise in Minnesota.
"I sit before you feeling blessed. This is a dream come true for me in my life," Levine said. "I am honored to join the Twins' organization. It's a classy organization, it's a family-first organization. I've been blessed to work 17 years in organized baseball. I approach this opportunity as I want this to be the last stop in my career, to spend the rest of my career with the Twins' organization."