Pohlads Open to Selling Minnesota Twins Glen Taylor Style…

In case you missed it, the Minnesota Twins are for sale. That’s very, very good news. The reality though is that it’s a process, and one that will take time to materialize. The Pohlad family must find willing buyers, come to an agreement, and navigate a change of power. They are apparently open to that mimicking the process undertaken by their downtown neighbors.

Pohalds willing to slow play sale of Minnesota Twins

A billion dollar sale is always going to take time. It is virtually unfathomable to think that the Minnesota Twins will have new owners prior to Opening Day. It’s also plausible they may not have a completed transaction by the end of the season. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes is led to believe that the Pohlad family is open to all options. That includes a gradual changing of the guard.

“It seems likely the Twins will remain under the stewardship of the Pohlads through Opening Day and it’s possible the group could retain control deep into next season. It’s also possible the Pohlads enter a sale process similar to the one Glen Taylor and the Minnesota Timberwolves made where new owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore gradually purchase control of the franchise.”

Dan Hayes on the Twins sale process (The Athletic)

You can bet that the Pohlad family would prefer to avoid the nasty arbitration situation that the Minnesota Timberwolves are currently involved in. That doesn’t mean they won’t be looking to get top dollar, and coming up with $1.5 billion could take some time. There are a limited number of people that possess that level of wealth, and the liquidity of it is an different situation entirely.

Related: Minnesota Twins Outright a Handful of Players; All Clear Waivers

Similarly to Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, you can bet that Twins fans would gravitate heavily to a new purchasing party the minute they are revealed. That doesn’t mean they’ll have a controlling interest from the jump.

Sale process stifles Twins in free agency

Just as you shouldn’t expect a quick sale of the Minnesota Twins, you also shouldn’t expect Derek Falvey to be given additional funds. The Pohlad’s aren’t going to rearrange the balance sheet while trying to offload their product. Dealing with a payroll around $127 million last year, that’s a number to expect for 2025 as well. Hayes outlined the ramifications there too.

“Typically, owners who are in the process of selling a team want to present a fiscally responsible product to attract buyers. Those owners usually don’t want to make long-term commitments like signing expensive players to multiyear contracts that might deter buyers, who often prefer to put their own stamp on a club. In other words, don’t expect the Twins to sign Juan Soto this offseason. Don’t even expect them to add $10 million to the current payroll. Instead, Falvey and his front office are likely going to have to spend the next few months figuring out how to reallocate resources to round out the roster.”

Dan Hayes on the Twins payroll (The Athletic)

That’s a difficult reality for a front office that faced similar constraints last offseason. Juan Soto said he’s open to every team, but the Twins have already crossed him off of their list. Last season Jorge Polanco needed to be moved so that Baldelli’s roster could have other areas addressed. Willi Castro and others appear to be prime candidates for that situation this season.

Related: Minnesota Twins Trying to Trade Willi Castro

It’s unfortunate that the timing of Minnesota’s sale aligns with the prime of Royce Lewis. Carlos Correa was just inked long-term and can’t be a fan either. If the roster is going to be better next season, Falvey will have worked some serious magic.