Latest On Twins’ Front Office Search

The Twins have already advanced through a large portion of the process for filling their front office openings, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports. Minnesota is looking for a replacement for displaced GM Terry Ryan, whose chair has been occupied on an interim basis by long-time club executive Rob Antony.

In conjunction with an executive search firm, the club has already nearly wrapped up formulating a list of first-round interview candidates, per the report. And the organization has conducted multiple interviews with prospective front office personnel, according to owner Jim Pohlad, which has included sit-downs both in Minnesota and elsewhere.

The goal appears to be to find an analytical-savvy baseball operations leader, Berardino says, though the club also has not dismissed the idea of hiring someone with a scouting background or a track record as a general manager. As we’ve heard previously, the organization is hoping to hire a president of baseball operations who will, in turn, hire a general manager.

Earlier tonight, we learned that the Twins have formally requested permission to interview Cubs exec Jason McLeod. Indeed, the focus on the Chicago organization seems to be multi-faceted. Berardino says that Minnesota hopes to find a “Theo Epstein-type” president and is looking at other members of the staff that helped build what is arguably the league’s best major league roster. We’ve heard previously of interest in assistant GM Shiraz Rehman, and the latest report adds that Cubs pro scouting director Jared Porter is “firmly on the Twins radar” as well.