Since Falvey and the Twins parted ways, the story has begun to emerge that Falvey wanted out and that the course is no longer the one he signed up for in 2016 and that the difficulty level had increased. Listening to the most recent episode of Gleeman and the Geek the guys said:
“From Falvey’s perspective, the parameters of his work have continued to deteriorate over the past three years”
What’s frustrating about this is that while payroll has declined since 2023 and that has created challenges, there have been two major changes in the MLB that have made his job easier.
AL Central Payroll Administration
When Falvey took office in 2016, the average MLB payroll was about $131 million and the average AL Central Payroll was $131 million. This is exactly right and reflects the fact that the AL Central invested at a reasonable rate. In 2026, the average MLB payroll is now $179 million, but the AL Central payroll average is now down to $125 million. This reflects a lack of investment in more teams than the Twins and has given the Twins easier opponents and an easier path to the playoffs than other divisions.
MLB Playoff Structure
When Falvey came in after 2016, the MLB used a playoff format where there were 5 playoff teams per league and this resulted in the Twins playing tougher teams and contributed to their playoff losing streak. In 2022, the MLB changed this to 6 teams per league and had the 4 weaker teams in the league play each other in the first round, which directly led to the Twins playing an 89-win team in the Blue Jays and advancing in the playoffs. Under the restrictions he started with, he probably would have just played the Astros and lost the series 1-3. The streak would have been broken, but it would have been a lot more discouraging.
Conclusion
Falvey faced headwinds when he left. Payroll for the Twins fell. That doesn’t change the fact that he has the easiest division in baseball to make the playoffs and the playoffs are now set up for mediocre teams like the Twins to make some noise.
#Falvey #difficulty