Twins' Derek Falvey: 'I've been told to operate business as usual'

Despite a near complete lack of spending on the major league squad this winter, Twins president of baseball operations Darek Falvey is confident Minnesota can compete during the 2025 season.

"I think that we have a really good team, a really good core," Falvey said in an interview on MLB Network Radio on Sunday. "I mentioned a couple players like Pablo (Lopez) and Carlos (Correa) that are huge leaders for us. Byron Buxton playing over a hundred games for the first time in a long time last year. If we can get our young players who got some real world challenging experiences late in the season last year to really grow from those, which I know they will, we feel like we have a team that can go compete this year."

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Falvey is aiming to improve off a disappointing 2024 season, in which the Twins finished fourth in the AL Central with an 82-80 record. In the midst of an ownership sale, that he says he's had very little involvement in, Falvey has been unable to add pieces to the roster with tightened purse strings and sky-rocketing free agent prices across the league.

"I've been told to operate, you know, business as usual on our end and make sure that we put ultimately the best team we can out on the field for 2025," Falvey said.

"We felt like we looked at this team and it had, we really committed to the core that we have," continued Falvey. "Some of our free agent spending and kind of what we've done came in prior cycles, whether it was knowing that we were extending Carlos Correa through those seasons, or ultimately Pablo Lopez would've been a free agent this offseason if not for extending him before he got to free agency. So these are the things that we look at it and we try and build something that's long term and sustainable... and you're trying to figure out how it all works and intersects together when the sale process comes in. Certainly I've been given some direction broadly around the team, but ultimately it's to win in 2025 and to put the best team out there.

"So we haven't really tried to peel anything back, make any significant changes, running kind of payroll similar to where we've been now more recently and ultimately been told, 'Put the best team together that we can within those parameters,' which we all deal with from every market."

With little to no new faces coming in this offseason, Minnesota will need to rely on the likes of Buxton, Correa and Royce Lewis to remain healthy in 2025, while also seeing development from a talented farm system. Correa, 30, missed significant time last year due to plantar fasciitis, playing in just 86 games.

"We had Matt Borgschulte here, our hitting coach, he headed down to see Carlos to work out with him, just to get to know him a little bit more and spend some time with him. He walked out of the meeting, just more impressed than I think he did. Been just watching him on the field at times. He said he is in a great spot, feeling great. Our athletic trainers have said the same," Falvey said of Correa.

"The good news is he's doing everything he can in order to prepare for the season, put himself in a good spot. Whether that means over the course of a year, [manager Rocco Baldelli has] talked about it some, how do we mix in those DH days? How do we make sure we give him the right rest on occasion? Because he's such a tremendous shortstop," continued Falvey. "So we just gotta keep him on the field. Because we know he is a leader in our clubhouse. We know how important he is to our performance. And if we can do that, that will really buoy the team that we already have built."

Falvey didn't rule out free agent additions, noting that the Twins have made several early spring additions in recent years.

"I think for us every year it feels like it's mid-to-late January when some of the things pick up for us," Falvey said. "You know, a year ago, whether it was a Carlos Santana who really helped us and lifted us last year at first base and fit our roster well. We've had different years where we've made some of those signings and trades in spring training. Manny Margot came over last year when we were already in Florida. So, I don't anticipate the offseason to end when pitchers and catchers report, it'll probably continue."

Falvey pointed out the need for a right-handed hitting outfielder.

"I think for us, when we look at our roster, we have a lot of depth in some different areas. You always want more, but I think that's been an area of focus, is that right-hand hitting outfield are complimentary to our roster," he said. "That could help us with some of our left-handed corner guys. Maybe even a guy that can play and add some depth to first base as well. Because we're counting on some young guys to take on a meaningful share of those at-bats right now. So, if we can hit those areas, I think that'd be our focus. Ultimately always looking for ways to add to your depth, whether it's pitching or anywhere around the roster."