Twins GM Thad Levine leaving organization to 'pursue new challenges'

Levine is out after eight seasons in the GM role with the Twins.

Nov 8, 2016; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Twins general manager Thad Levine during the MLB general managers meeting at the Omni Scottsdale Resort. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Thad Levine is out as general manager of the Minnesota Twins.

Levine, with the Twins in the GM role since 2016, doesn't appear to have been fired. Instead, the Twins announced in a press release that Levine "will depart" the organization "to pursue new challenges and opportunities, both inside and outside of baseball."

"The time is right for me to pursue my next enriching, professional challenge," Levine said in a prepared statement. "I will forever cherish the friendships that I have made in the Minnesota Twins organization and throughout Twins Territory."

Levine leaving the Twins comes on the heels of the team firing four assistant coaches earlier this week. All three hitting coaches — David Popkins, Derek Shomon and Rudy Hernandez — were let go, as was assistant bench coach Tony Diaz.

The turnover in leadership positions comes after Minnesota collapses from a 70-53 start to an 82-80 finish and missed the playoffs one year after the 2023 Twins broke an 18-game playoff losing streak and advanced past the wild-card round of the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

The Twins have said that Derek Falvey, the team's chief baseball officer, and manager Rocco Baldelli are safe.

This is a developing story.