The New York Mets hired Derek Falvey as senior advisor of baseball operations, bringing aboard the former Minnesota Twins president who spent nine seasons running the AL Central club's front office. The move expands David Stearns' executive layer ahead of the 2027 season and signals owner Steve Cohen's willingness to stack payroll not just on the field but in the decision-making seats above it.
Falvey, 52, held the Twins' top baseball operations role from November 2016 through last month. Minnesota reached the postseason four times under his tenure but won only one playoff series—a 2019 wild card victory over Oakland. The club posted a .537 winning percentage across his 1,458 regular-season games as decision-maker. He was not offered a contract extension after the 2026 season ended with Minnesota finishing 83-79, third in the division.
The hire matters because it gives Stearns a second veteran executive voice who has run an entire baseball operation, negotiated nine-figure extensions, and navigated the specific politics of a large-market payroll inside a mid-market structure. Falvey's Minnesota teams consistently ranked in the middle third of MLB payroll—$135M to $155M annually from 2022 through 2026—but he directed spending toward pitching development infrastructure that produced five homegrown All-Stars during his tenure. That profile fits Cohen's current mandate: the Mets already spend at the top of the league ($312M projected luxury-tax payroll for 2027), so the marginal value now comes from better talent evaluation at the margins and younger pipeline depth.
Falvey also brings specific experience the Mets lacked in-house. He oversaw two major ballpark renovation projects in Minnesota, including the $48M clubhouse and training facility expansion completed in 2023. The Mets are two years into their own Citi Field modernization plan, a $180M privately funded overhaul that includes new player development facilities and sponsor hospitality zones set to open in 2028. Having someone who managed contractor negotiations and local government approvals on a similar timeline adds continuity to a project that directly affects both on-field performance infrastructure and the team's ability to monetize premium experiences.
The advisor title is not ceremonial. Stearns has used the senior advisor structure before—he brought in three such hires during his Milwaukee tenure, each focused on a specific domain: international scouting, medical analytics, and stadium operations. Falvey's background suggests he will likely focus on player development systems and pitching infrastructure, the two areas where his Minnesota record is cleanest. The Twins produced 12 pitchers who threw at least 50 innings in the majors during Falvey's tenure, with a combined 3.91 ERA. That pipeline work is directly relevant as the Mets' farm system ranks 22nd in Baseball America's current organizational talent rankings.
The hire also removes a potential competitor. Falvey was considered a candidate for at least two other front office openings this winter—one in the National League West, one in the American League East. By bringing him aboard now, the Mets keep him off the market and away from division rivals while Stearns continues to reshape the decision-making architecture Cohen bought for $2.4B in 2020.
Watch for Falvey's first visible project: the Mets have $87M in guaranteed contracts expiring after 2027, including two starting pitchers and their closer. Minnesota extended or traded nearly every pending free agent during Falvey's tenure rather than reaching the deadline, a philosophy that may now influence how Stearns handles the next 14 months. Also watch the January scouting meetings—Falvey typically brought cross-departmental staff into those sessions, and if that practice appears in Queens it will signal how much operational authority Stearns has delegated. The front office now has three former general managers under one roof; someone's phone gets answered first.