Twins tag Thad Levine as new General Manager

It sounds as though it is nearly official, as official as it can be, anyways. The Twins are looking to hire Texas Rangers Assistant General Manager Thad Levine to be their new General Manager. Of course, this can’t officially be stated or announced, because the person hiring Levine, Derek Falvey, is not even officially a member of the Twins organization yet. La Velle E Neal is a source I trust, though, and I choose to believe this, despite the typical merry-go-round of breaking baseball news.

So, under the assumption that Levine is the guy, what does this suggest about the Twins and their game plan going forward? A look at how the Rangers operated while Levine worked under Jon Daniels seems to suggest that he will be a very good yin to Falvey’s yang. The Rangers have been in the World Series a twice in the last 10 years, and were back in the playoffs this year, so the history of success is there. The Rangers have a longer track record than the Indians, albeit with a greater payroll.

The Rangers, while perhaps not reaching the promised land, have a few things going for them. First, they’ve been willing to make big moves to put them over the top, including moves for Cole Hamels and Jonathan LuCroy. Second, they have maintained their very best prospects and converted them into capable regulars, like Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor and Martin Perez. Third, they have done it without going for broke with bad contracts. They have brought in Adrian Beltre and Yu Darvish, but they also let CJ Wilson and Josh Hamilton walk.

Falvey’s background is more in player development, particularly with pitchers, while Levine is a pro at talent acquisition. These are two fundamental aspects of team stewardship, and two areas in dire need of improvement from the Minnesota Twins. Obviously, there are many questions left to be answered. What will the split in responsibility look like? What mandate will ownership give them? What is Thad short for (I’m going with Thadam. Thadam Levine)?

Shortly after the World Series finishes, the Twins will likely make a series of front office moves to flesh out the staff, perhaps even down to the coaching level. We’ll really start to get their character in December when the winter meetings roll around.