The Athletics’ search for a new general manager has already turned up one notable name, but Derek Falvey isn’t taking that path.
According to Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com, the Athletics were interested in the former Twins president for their GM opening after firing longtime GM David Frost in August. Multiple sources told Gleeman that Falvey turned down an interview for the job and instead joined the Mets’ front office, where he’ll work under his former Cleveland co-worker David Stearns.
Falvey’s new title in New York is senior advisor to baseball operations. Had he interviewed for the Athletics’ opening and landed the role, he would have stepped into a much higher-ranking position.
The move also fits the kind of situation Falvey chose. The Mets may be coming off a disappointing season, but owner Steve Cohen has shown no hesitation about spending. New York’s payroll this year sits second in baseball at $286,745,821, trailing only the Dodgers at $370,520,950.
That stands in sharp contrast to Oakland. The Athletics are at $131,335,713 in payroll, good for 21st in the league, and that number is still notable for a club with a long history of operating much lower. The next GM there is walking into a job with limited room to maneuver financially.
And the challenge won’t stop with payroll. The Athletics finished 2026 at 64-98, and while injuries took a real toll - with Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker and others missing time - the season still left the club well short of contention. Even with better injury luck, the playoff picture probably would not have changed much.
The bigger issue is on the mound. Oakland’s young offense gives the organization something to build around, but the pitching numbers were rough: a 5.51 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP, both 29th in the majors and better only than the Colorado Rockies. Sutter Health Park is not a pitcher-friendly setting, but the staff still needs a lot of help if the Athletics are going to climb back into the race.
For Falvey, the interest alone says something. Even without taking the interview, he drew attention for a top-front-office job and landed with the Mets anyway, a sign that plenty around the league still see him as a sharp baseball mind.
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Travis Adams Just Made The Twins Bullpen Battle A Lot Tougher
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Adams year also offered the kind of mixed rsum that makes these decisions tricky. His 4.58 ERA tells part of the story, but the usage and effectiveness numbers suggest a pitcher whose stuff can work, even if some offerings were hit harder than others. For a Twins club that still has room for only two more bullpen arms, that late improvement may be enough to keep Adams in the hunt a little longer. [Read more 🡒]