The Pohlad family announced in a press release Thursday morning their intention to explore selling the Minnesota Twins.
The news comes less than two weeks after the team collapsed down the stretch, losing 27 of its final 39 games and missing the postseason. Following a “business decision” to slash payroll by $30 million heading into the 2024 season, an ownership group in place since Carl Pohlad purchased the club in 1984 faced massive criticism from fans for its role in the team failing to capitalize on a 2023 campaign in which the Twins won their first playoff series in 21 years.
“For the past 40 seasons, the Minnesota Twins have been part of our family’s heart and soul,” the statement read. “This team is woven into the fabric of our lives, and the Twins community has become an extension of our family. The staff, the players, and most importantly, you, the fans — everyone who makes up this unbelievable organization — is part of that. We’ve never taken lightly the privilege of being stewards of this franchise.
“However, after months of thoughtful consideration, our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins. As we enter the next phase of this process, the time is right to make this decision public.
“We truly respect and cherish what the Twins mean to Minneapolis, St. Paul, the great state of Minnesota, and this entire region. Our goal is to be as informative as possible with the team, staff, and you, the fans. You deserve that, because in so many ways, this team doesn’t belong to any one family — it belongs to all of you. It’s our objective to find an ownership group who all of us can be proud of and who will take care of the Minnesota Twins.
“After four decades of commitment, passion, and countless memories, we are looking toward the future with care and intention — for our family, the Twins organization, and this community we love so much.”
Earlier this week, Major League Baseball announced it would take over production of Twins television broadcasts. The team was looking for a new broadcast partner after its one-year contract with Diamond Sports Group expired.
Switching over to MLB’s model, which at long last will allow customers to purchase subscriptions without requiring them to be cable subscribers, is expected to be a significant blow to the club’s short-term revenues. Though it was considered the worst TV deal in the league, the Twins’ contract with Diamond that expired after the 2023 season paid them up to $54 million annually for TV rights.
Carl Pohlad purchased the Twins in 1984 for $44 million. His son Jim Pohlad was named chairman after Carl Pohlad’s death in 2009 and held that role until the 2022 season. Jim Pohlad’s nephew, Joe, took over running the club’s daily operations the past two seasons.
(Photo of Joe Pohlad in 2023: Brace Hemmelgarn / Minnesota Twins / Getty Images)
