It’s two up, two down so far — at least publicly — in the Minnesota Twins’ search for their next top-end power structure atop their front office. With the Pioneer Press reporting the time just wasn’t right for current Dodgers executive Alex Anthopoulos last week, the first domino fell in the negative direction.
Then, on Wednesday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune — specifically LaVelle E. Neal III — reported that former Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington was declining an interview, citing personal reasons.
The first bit of positive news struck on Tuesday, as it was reported out of Chicago and then confirmed by existing Cubs GM Jed Hoyer that the Twins had asked for permission to interview existing Cubs executive Jason McLeod, who is regarded as one of baseball’s best and brightest minds with ample credits in his portfolio of time with the Padres, Red Sox and now with the North Siders.
The second bit of positivity struck early on Wednesday, when well-known national baseball writer Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported that the Twins had requested an interview with J.J. Picollo, the assistant GM and vice president of the Kansas City Royals.
That would seem to be a pretty good start, right? Two interviews with not only someone from the team that has made the World Series the last two years and won it last year, but also someone from the team that is the prohibitive favorite this year?
Friend of Cold Omaha and frequent contributor to the Midwest Swing podcast on these very pages, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press also had some interesting tweets on the subject:
Picollo is well regarded in Kansas City, and has been talked up in a number of circles as one of the next great GMs in waiting. He interviewed with the Phillies last year — and at one point was reported to be the ‘heavy favorite’ — only to lose out to Matt Klentak. It would have been an interesting fit for Picollo, who is a 1989 graduate of Cherry Hill West, a high school just 10 miles away from Citizens Bank Park. Picollo was a starter on three consecutive South Jersey championship squads, and was ultimately drafted twice by the Cincinnati Reds (1989 and 1993) before a brief cameo in the Yankees system as a catcher (13 total plate appearances) in 1994.
Picollo has been with the Royals since Aug. 13, 2006, and came over from the Atlanta Braves as he followed current GM Dayton Moore. Picollo peaked as Director of Minor League Operations with the Braves, and started as Director of Player Development with the Royals.
Picollo had seen a wide array of responsibilities with the Braves — including Assistant Director of Player Development and as an Area Scouting Supervisor for six states on the east coast as well as Washington D.C. Prior to joining the Braves, he worked with hitters and catchers at his alma mater George Mason (three years) and The George Washington University (two years), as well as aided in recruiting.
Here’s some interesting reading/listening outside the scope of this article on Picollo:
Oct. 22, 2010 — Philly.com — From Cherry Hill to Kansas City to SJ Baseball HoF
Oct. 20, 2014 — Washington Post — George Mason products have helped cultivate Royals’ success
Oct. 23, 2015 — CSN Philly — Report: Picollo out of running for Phillies GM job
July 19, 2016 — WHB 801 radio — Picollo joins “The Program” to talk Royals system
Sept. 13, 2016 — KC Star — Royals’ Picollo considered by Twins in GM search
