Bold upheaval reshapes the Twins’ front office as Jeremy Zoll steps into leadership just weeks before spring training, taking charge of the team’s baseball operations amid a swirl of changes.
In a move that surprised many, Zoll was elevated to run baseball operations following Derek Falvey’s departure, a shift that occurred not long after Tom Pohlad was installed as executive chair and controlling owner, succeeding his brother. Roughly six weeks earlier, the organization had also brought in Derek Shelton as the new manager, while the previous summer had seen ownership push for a leaner payroll and a flurry of trades near the deadline.
Historically, the Twins have stood as a model of efficiency and stability in Major League Baseball. That longstanding image has been tested in recent years as leadership transitions mounted and financial constraints pressed the roster to adjust. With pitchers and catchers preparing for the first workouts at the Lee Health Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida, questions linger about the bullpen depth and the balance of left-handed hitters on the squad.
Beyond this season, uncertainty remains as the current collective bargaining agreement nears expiration, raising the possibility of labor tensions as MLB works toward a more sustainable balance between big-market contenders and smaller-market clubs.
Despite the flux at the top, Zoll and the existing leadership group have had time to establish a solid platform to build on. If Falvey’s departure and the organizational reorganization yield a lasting legacy, it may lie in the structural soundness and processes he helped institute over nine years.
“We’re going to take a team approach,” said Zoll, 35, who retains his executive vice president and general manager title and becomes the youngest baseball operations chief in the majors. “Everyone was geared up for the season with clear responsibilities, and as we move through this transition, we’ll all roll up our sleeves and lean in even more together.”
Falvey echoed that sentiment during a recent news conference announcing his exit. “This is a group that’s resilient. They’ve navigated significant change in the last couple of years, and they just keep pushing forward,” Falvey said. Hired by the Twins at 33, he expressed confidence in the team’s future bolster by a strong foundation.
Pohlad, meanwhile, has been pursuing a new president of business operations and chose not to recreate Falvey’s baseball-centric role before taking on dual responsibilities himself, a decision rooted in his belief in Zoll’s capabilities. “If Jeremy Zoll won the GM job a year ago, that should tell you something about him,” Pohlad stated. “There was significant competition inside and outside the organization for this role. I’m fully committed to Jeremy as the right leader to shoulder the responsibilities Derek previously held.”
Zoll’s background includes eight years under Falvey as director of minor league operations and a collegiate stint at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, followed by a 2014 breakthrough into the majors as a coordinator of advanced scouting with the Los Angeles Angels.
Though the payroll sits lower than it did two years ago, placing the Twins in the bottom quartile of MLB spending, the organization has retained stars Byron Buxton, Pablo López, and Joe Ryan, signaling a deliberate push to contend in the low-spending American League Central.
Zoll described the strategic aim behind last summer’s trades: avoiding a full rebuild while preserving the capacity to replenish talent from within the system. “There was a strategic element to ensure we weren’t setting up for a colossal teardown, and there’s a pathway to accelerate talent development by starting with established upper-level and big-league players,” he noted. “We’re doing our best to assemble the right pieces.”
