Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey on Monday talked longer than he usually lets his pitchers pitch.
Observations abound as Twins, Derek Falvey wrap-up 2022 season with news conference
Give the Twins credit: their leadership takes on tough questions — and they have plenty of those to solve this offseason, from pitching to hitting, coaching, contracts and more.
October 11, 2022 at 1:51AM
Here's what struck me about his season-ending news conference at Target Field:
- Bullpen bounceback: The Twins have spent four years under Falvey and manager Rocco Baldelli scrambling to piece together a bullpen.
Even when they won 101 games in 2019, they blew up their frighteningly bad bullpen at the end of July.
When they had Taylor Rogers, they never fully committed to him as a closer, then they traded him.
Having traded for Jorge Lopez and developed Jhoan Duran, they will enter 2023 confident they won't have to spend assets or angst on their bullpen. Lopez, Duran, Griffin Jax and Caleb Thielbar give them the base for their best bullpen in a long time. Lopez, despite periodic struggles in 2022, was an all-star. Duran could become one of the best relievers in the game.
- An ace?: I suggested recently that the Twins should spend big to sign one. Falvey seemed to shoot down that possibility, noting that the Twins, given reasonable health, should have lots of quality starting pitchers.
The more Falvey talked about his depth, the more I began to think that a trade for another front-line starting pitcher is a possibility.
- Hooks: Asked if he would welcome a starting pitcher who could regularly pitch into the seventh and eighth innings, Falvey said, "We're all in on that.''
- Watkins: After announcing that head athletic trainer Michael Salazar will not return, he said the coaching staff will be brought back. Asked specifically about third base coach Tommy Watkins, Falvey noted that even if some of Watkins' decisions on sending runners could be questioned, his value to the organization can't.
This is correct. Watkins is respected and beloved at all levels of the Twins' organization.
- Showing up: Falvey spoke with writers in an informal setting for more than an hour, then went to the dugout to do broadcast interviews.
Nobody does this anymore. Most modern sports organizations do all they can to protect their key figures from lengthy or pointed questioning, especially in front of large groups. Between Falvey's availability and Baldelli's lengthy interviews before and after every game, no local team provides more access to their leadership figures.
The Twins never even cut off questioning during Falvey's session. A group of more than a dozen writers asked questions until they were out of questions.
- Under contract: One of the reasons the Twins were willing to deal valued prospects at the July trade deadline was that Lopez and starter Tyler Mahle will be under contract in 2023. Falvey said reports on Mahle's sore shoulder are encouraging.
- Correa: Asked if the Twins would consider the kind of long-term, lucrative contract that might be required to re-sign shortstop Carlos Correa, Falvey said the Twins have made offers like that to players that weren't accepted.
He did nothing to dissuade the notion that the Twins will make a strong offer to Correa, even if the conventional wisdom around baseball is that Correa will sign elsewhere.
- The injury excuse: I agree with the Twins' evaluation that a massive number of injuries, particularly to star center fielder Byron Buxton, were the cause of the team's poor play over the last four months of the season, and during their September collapse.
Now 2023 becomes the most important test of Falvey's tenure.
In 2022, the Twins were coming off a lockout, meaning they couldn't work with or monitor their players all winter.
There is no way the Twins should deal with as many important injuries again. If they do, they will have to change more than one position next fall.
- Deal or develop?: I asked Falvey if, despite plenty of organizational depth, he felt the Twins had anchors in two key roles: ace, and No. 3 hitter.
Falvey said he thinks the Twins may be able to develop those from within the organization.
I would assume that means either Jose Miranda (or a healthy Alex Kirilloff, or Matt Wallner, or Brooks Lee).
As for an ace ... I wouldn't be surprised to see this front office maintain its aggressive approach and make a dramatic trade this winter.
Gerrit Cole gave up his opt-out right on Monday and will remain with the New York Yankees under a contract that runs through 2028 rather than become a free agent.
