As they make an unexpected leadership transition on the eve of spring training, owner Tom Pohlad is intrigued by what he’s seen from Jeremy Zoll, the Minnesota Twins’ new head of baseball operations in the wake of Derek Falvey’s stunning departure.
Though the team’s executive chair and general manager are still acclimating to one another, Pohlad’s initial impression is to feel fortunate Zoll was available to lead the Twins after Falvey agreed to step down as team president on Friday, only 13 days before the start of the new season.
While the Twins intend to replace one of Falvey’s dual roles by hiring a new head of business, Pohlad opted to elevate Zoll into the baseball leadership role rather than search for someone new.
With pitchers and catchers reporting to Fort Myers, Fla., on Feb. 12, and new manager Derek Shelton coming on board, Pohlad thought continuity was key as the Twins look to their first new director of baseball since Falvey took over in late 2016. Hired in 2018 as the team’s director of minor-league operations, the Twins made Zoll an assistant GM in 2021, a title he held until he was named GM in November 2024 after Thad Levine was dismissed.
“We lucked out with Jeremy Zoll being in this position,” Pohlad said Friday. “He strikes me as aggressive, decisive, very competitive. … If Jeremy can take what his personality is and all the things that he learned from Derek, I think he’s going to be really talented and do really well in this job. I’m excited to see what he does this year.”
The bulk of what Zoll is tasked with remains the same. He’s handled the team’s day-to-day baseball operations since taking over for Levine after the 2024 season.
But the importance of his biggest new duty can’t be overstated: Zoll must shepherd a new owner with limited baseball experience through his first season in charge of the club. Previously, Falvey was ownership’s ombudsman to the front office.
While Friday’s news surprised many, Zoll — who lauded his former boss for how he comported himself — was privy to the difference in opinions between Falvey and Pohlad.
“Derek did bring me into the fold here a little bit ahead of the news,” Zoll said Tuesday. “(The) biggest thing will just be working hand (in) hand with Tom at this point moving forward and being that direct line and connection for the baseball ops department. … I’m looking forward to digging in further with Tom and figuring out those right rhythms and cadences.”
Though his family has owned the Twins since 1984, Pohlad has spent minimal time around the franchise his grandfather, Carl Pohlad, purchased for $44 million, acknowledging “I’ve got a lot to learn” at his Dec. 17 introductory news conference.
In the seven weeks since he’s assumed control, Tom Pohlad has demonstrated he’s extremely competitive and aggressive. He also intends to take a hands-on approach to ownership and expects the Twins to play competitive baseball this season — perhaps a lofty goal given the state of the bullpen after it was ripped apart at the trade deadline at the behest of ownership.
While the club boasts enough talent in its starting rotation, there’s not much experience in the bullpen. The team’s 40-man additions this offseason include signing free agent Taylor Rogers for $2 million, trading for Eric Orze, who has 35 big-league appearances, and Tuesday’s waiver claim of right-hander Jackson Kowar, who showed improvement last season but has an 8.21 career ERA in 91 innings.
On Friday, Pohlad indicated additions to the 2026 roster before the season begins are still a possibility.
“I think there is still some investments to be made between now and Opening Day,” he said.
But, few experienced — and healthy — free-agent relief options remain, and teams are often reluctant to make significant trades during spring training, though it’s not out of the question. Still, the Twins are likely to be forced to rely upon talented young starting pitchers making the transition to the bullpen, a transformation that often takes time and can be messy.
There could be times when Zoll needs to set his new boss straight about the realities of the roster situation. Despite Zoll’s inexperience, one person close to him believes he’s more than capable.
“JZ has a great demeanor for being direct and dealing with (bulls—),” the source said.
On his way out the door, Falvey also backed Zoll’s ability to make the transition smooth.
“I have the utmost belief in Jeremy Zoll,” Falvey said. “His passion for it, his work habits, his work ethic, his relationship building are exceptional. I think he’s going to continue to take the reins and keep going, just as he has over the last year.”
When he took over in 2016, Falvey quickly hired Levine to divide the workload of dealing with teams and agents, as well as providing a sounding board. When he took on his dual role as team president 14 months ago, Falvey then relied on Zoll to be his second in charge.
For now, Zoll said he’ll seek counsel from a group of assistant GMs, which includes Sean Johnson, Josh Kalk and Alex Hassan, and other leaders in baseball ops. Thus far, Pohlad likes what he’s heard.
“If Jeremy Zoll won the job to be GM a year ago, that should tell you something about Jeremy Zoll,” Pohlad said. “There was plenty of competition. … I’m 100 percent committed to him as being the right leader in this moment.”
Twins Pass on sale today
The always-popular Twins Pass returns Wednesday, offering fans the chance to see up to 80 games for less than $3 per contest. Twins fans who purchase a season pass before March 1 will pay $2.86 per game ($229 total) and can attend all but one home game, including the April 3 opener.
Price of the pass — which doesn’t offer entrance to the team’s Aug. 13 “Field of Dreams” home contest in Dyersville, Iowa — increases to $249 on March 1. Fans can also purchase the passes on a monthly basis for $49, though those packages don’t include the home opener.