\n\tThere is still much we don\u2019t know about the specific events that led to the Twins and Derek Falvey parting ways. One thing we do know, though, is that Falvey was set up to fail in three key ways. That makes it easy to see why he wanted out, and perhaps why he chose not to let another losing season be hung around his neck as he seeks his next, greener pasture.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Correa Signing \n\tAfter the signing, The Athletic\u2019s Dan Hayes reported the following:<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhile he didn\u2019t mention a specific number, Pohlad didn\u2019t hesitate to suggest the Twins could increase payroll significantly if everything was properly aligned … Would something like $180-200 million be out of the question?\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI think that there are a number of factors that you need to consider,\u201d Pohlad said. \u201cWhere your team is, where your division is, where your business is at. And I don\u2019t think something like that is ever out of the question. I really don\u2019t.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n\tFast-forward eight months, and you know the rest. A good owner should not approve a signing like the Correa if he knows it will reduce the ability to add supplemental pieces, or worse, to slash payroll by nearly 20% the following season\u2014then again, and again for good measure.\n<\/p>\n \n\tOne might choose to be charitable, and argue that perhaps Pohlad didn\u2019t know that the family would be \u201closing\u201d significant money. That’s a watery defense, though. An owner’s imprimatur on a signing should signal a commitment to the spending required to justify it, which means either knowing for sure that it won’t limit the team, or being willing to stretch and accept the pain when it comes. Either way, allowing Falvey to take on a $200-million contract and then slashing payroll eliminated Falvey\u2019s ability to sign quality depth pieces that would insulate the team against injuries, player regression, or the failure of prospects to develop into quality regulars. In short, the Pohlads forced Falvey to immediately thread a needle if he wanted to succeed.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tOwnership Communication and Decision-Making
The first way in which ownership misled Falvey was Joe Pohlad\u2019s green-lighting of Carlos Correa<\/a>\u2019s second signing. To be clear, the approval itself was sound, and theoretically, it was a great move. A good owner, when sensing that his team\u2019s window of contention is wide-open and that the team is one big splash away from having a chance at a deep playoff run, should approve signing a superstar.\n<\/p>\n
The second way the Pohlads made Falvey\u2019s job harder is through their public-facing ineptitude. Whether it was Joe\u2019s ill-advised \u201crightsizing the payroll\u201d comment immediately following the first playoff success in 20 years, or his comments following the 2025 trade deadline firesale, ownership hung the front office out to dry.\n<\/p>\n