Sale of the Minnesota Twins Franchise Reportedly Trending Toward Completion

[Schmoeman5]

The new owners want to expedite the sale so they can go after Alonzo and or Bregman. MAYBE! 😄 

[AceWrigley]

20 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Hey!  The A’s were bad but not THAT bad!  😂

We could probably add some Oakland jokes here, but since California is literally a hot mess right now, i don't think so.

[Brandon27]

I don't think it going be them i think going somone else 

[Jacksson]

The relocation rumors I hear as being circulated are the Twins moving to Savannah, GA (The Hostess City) or Lenexa, KS (Home of Hostess Brands, Inc) which in either case, would result in the renaming of the team to the............................................................................................................

HOSTESS TWINKIES !!

[ashbury]

4 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

I have heard nice reports about the atmosphere of the area.

You meant to include a smiley face on that one, right?  😀  But Mrs Ash and I have walked from our budget motel to the ballpark entrance, which is the long way around, and never felt uncomfortable.  I'm willing to give a ballpark some bonus points for the neighborhood atmosphere - Fenway and Wrigley remaining the best examples - but I'm disinclined to deduct points for the neighborhood, especially the cases where the standard thing is to take mass transit or just drive into a huge parking lot where there is a lot of tailgating/grilling to enjoy the aromas even if you're not partaking.

[D.C Twins]

We don't need trends... we need statistical significance on this analysis!!!!!

[GNess]

5 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Never got to that one, but wish I had. I have heard nice reports about the atmosphere of the area. I would amend my statement from 'the worst stadium' to 'the most dated stadium (without major upgrades)'.

The ownership of the A's purposely allowed the stadium to become dated and dilapidated as part of a strategy to force a move. It was sinister and MLB went along with it. Not saying it will happen, but MLB would surely allow  the Twins to relocate if their owners wished it and could create a negative narrative about the team and the lack of fan support and resources for it.  

[Fatbat]

20 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

well, I don't think the Pohlads expected this to get done by Opening day, and I think you're right to still be skeptical that it will. I'm sure the payroll cuts were entirely about ensuring that the Pohlads didn't have to cash-flow anything into the franchise on their way out the door.

Since we don’t know what has been agreed upon at any of the meetings, its hard to speculate about sale price, team salary, moratorium on trades, tons of issues. It is interesting to point out  how all the arbitration players signed contracts and didn’t go to arbitration. No player has been dumped for salary relief. No blockbuster trade. No high prices free agent signing. A full 40 man roster. Its as if the FO has been told to stand pat. 

[FargoFanMan]

11 hours ago, GNess said:

The ownership of the A's purposely allowed the stadium to become dated and dilapidated as part of a strategy to force a move. It was sinister and MLB went along with it. Not saying it will happen, but MLB would surely allow  the Twins to relocate if their owners wished it and could create a negative narrative about the team and the lack of fan support and resources for it.  

The A’s were forced to move. Once the city and state refused to fund a stadium they had to look to another city or they would see a reduced revenue sharing cost per the last CBA. It’s stated right in the document. Why do you think they’re spending money now? Cause they have to get above the minimum floor and there’s light at the end of the tunnel. 

[Hubie29]

47 minutes ago, FargoFanMan said:

The A’s were forced to move. 

As a 63 y/o lifelong MLB fan, I find it hard to believe and am saddened by the demise of the "Oakland A's"  Probably my fave team other than the Twins. LOVE the green and yellow unis. Remember the white shoes? Campenaris, Blue, Tenace, Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Bando, Rudi etc., etc. I think it's terrible for MLB and esp the diehard A's fans. 

[TopGunn#22]

I agree Fatbat.  I'm also surprised but very happy that this potential sale is progressing so rapidly.  I hear there are groups other than the Ishbia brothers who are interested, but I'm skeptical due to the lack of ANY other names being mentioned.  Especially with the rumor that the Ishbia brothers would like to bring guys like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau into their group.

But I think you (Fatbat) hit the nail on the head.  Every move or non-move made to this point has been quite inconsequential.  Vasquez and Paddack (and to a lesser degree Castro) have not been moved to dump their salaries.  Lopez, Correa and Rod Carew (kidding about Carew) have not been moved.  If the Twins actually had someone in their FO named "Pat" I would suspect something deeper than "Standing Pat" was taking place.

I and several others have already mentioned that a sale by opening day would mean that the roster is practically set in stone at this point to begin the season, but with new ownership in place, this COULD auger a possible major deadline deal if the Twins were in contention.  But I also wonder, if the negotiations have progressed to the point that a sale could be finalized on or before opening day, have their been any conversations with the Pohlad's, the Twins FO and the Ishbia brothers about the $130 million dollar 2025 payroll level? 

Could a FA signing or trade for a 1B be a possibility?  Could signing Kirby Yates for the BP be a possibility?  Who could be a possible RH hitting corner OF/1B?  Is there a FA SP or a trade possibility for a SP being considered?  Despite SWR's performance last season and Festa's potential, adding one more solid, dependable SP would lessen the need to rely so heavily on 2nd year pitchers in the #4 & #5 rotation slots.  

The news of an agreement for a sale coming soon is ALL GOOD.  The Ishbia brothers aren't going to move the team.  There is zero percent chance of that happening.  But expanding the payroll to something above $130 million could greatly enhance the Twins chances of either winning the A.L. Central or qualifying as a Wild Card.  

[HrbieFan]

On 1/10/2025 at 9:44 AM, Riverbrian said:

I will wait and see if new ownership indeed moves the team upward into a higher spending range. 

There could be a honeymoon introductory uptick but sustained spending in a higher range? 

I'll wait and see. 

The last sale was Baltimore. The Orioles have made some moves. Payroll has risen but it's not like they've blown the roof off the place in support of all that young talent they have. 

Payroll still seems Baltimore-esque to me. 

 

It is like business leaders don't want to lose money to satisfy some in the public. Shocker 

[Five minute major]

I have been a lifelong fan of this team having followed them religiously since 1981.  I have never been more apathetic to this franchise than right now.   I will not give another penny to the Pohlad's.  They do NOT care which is obvious.  I get it as they have other businesses that have their focus.  Good on them.  But sell the damn team.   My fear is that they are going to nickel and dime and hold out.  It is important for the fanbase to not allow this to happen.  We must boycott ticket sales, merchandise and viewership until team is sold.   They are going to make a GIGANTIC profit no matter what the sales price.   The only thing they are doing now by delaying a sale is hurting the fans, intentionally ATP.   

Every other ownership group in this state is top notch IMO.  They are willing to spend money and want to win.  Vikings, Wolvies and WIld area always active in trying to improve the roster regardless of cost.    The sad thing is MLB is the sport with the softest cap where eager owners can make a massive difference.   

[JD-TWINS]

On 1/10/2025 at 10:03 AM, chpettit19 said:

I don't remember the exact dates, but I believe the Orioles announced they were for sale in early January and were sold by opening day last year. I think these days a lot of it is about having your books in order and being realistic about your asking price.

………never hurts to have a motivated buyer!

[JD-TWINS]

There are a million different comments here on the sale subject - gotta chime in a bit. I gotta say that the FO getting static routinely here doesn’t really make much sense to me. They had a progression of salary % increases year over year since the beginning of their tenure - then 2024’s budget reverted back to 2021 spending. This is a full year after committing $35M/yr to Correa. The FO then assembled a Team for the $130M budget that was 17 games over .500 in mid-August. Injuries (Ryan) and more directly, the offense, killed the Team’s chances. Not really a FO problem IMO.

The minor league system seems to be graded fairly well relative to the rest of Baseball  - the pitching pipeline seems to be working and has a bit of depth. I don’t get why the new owners would pull the pin on the current FO without at least giving them a one or two year runway with a more competitive (Top 14-17) budget going forward?

[tony&rodney]

The key point on any additions should hinge on whether the new guy is better than the guy being replaced or pushed down. I'm struggling to come up with free agent starting pitchers or position players beyond a big ticket and that isn't realistic. A relief pitcher is possible. Does Yates sign to be a set up reliever?

[bean5302]

17 hours ago, GNess said:

The ownership of the A's purposely allowed the stadium to become dated and dilapidated as part of a strategy to force a move. It was sinister and MLB went along with it. Not saying it will happen, but MLB would surely allow  the Twins to relocate if their owners wished it and could create a negative narrative about the team and the lack of fan support and resources for it.  

Nope. The stadium was not owned by the Athletics. Like almost all MLB stadiums (and most major sports stadiums across the country), the stadium is owned by a local government entity and leased to the sports franchise. Only one of the major stadiums in the metro is owned by the team.

Allianz Field - Minnesota United
Xcel Energy Center - the City of St. Paul
Target Center - the City of Minneapolis
Target Field - the Minnesota Ballpark Authority
US Bank Stadium - Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority

In other recent news about the specific issue which you're speaking about, the Milwaukee Brewers were just threating to potentially move due to the breach of the lease agreement by the owner, the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District who was failing to contribute sufficient funding to keep the stadium up.

[bean5302]

It's going to be EASY for an MLB team to move now since the Athletics have already done it. All the teams which have been waiting for the opportunity are going to push this issue. It's been over 20 years since an MLB franchise has moved, and communities have become complacent.

It's about competitive environments. Whether or not individual people or even their representatives feel like billionaire sports franchise owners should receive new stadiums or whatever.

Sports teams DO NOT OWN THE STADIUMS.

That is by design. Otherwise, teams would have to pay for new stadiums themselves. Instead, government entities own the stadiums and those government entities lease the stadiums to professional sports franchises. This is the case for the vast majority of the 4 major sports franchises in the United States. That also means any metropolitan area who wants a sports team just needs to be willing to build a state of the art stadium and woo one of the franchises who have a lease on an obsolete or aging stadium which is winding down. In this way, metropolitan areas compete for stadiums/sports franchises, and whatever metro wants a stadium bad enough, will get a new team as owners pursue the best return on their investment (which is what every single one of us who shops at Wal Mart instead of some fancy local boutique do). So if that new metro is willing to make more concessions than the current metro, the team will be gone.

[Blyleven2011]

On 1/10/2025 at 4:17 PM, TheLeviathan said:

The latter is where my conclusion lies.

To bad Sid Hartman isn't aalive to find the scoop  ... lol

[FargoFanMan]

10 hours ago, Hubie29 said:

As a 63 y/o lifelong MLB fan, I find it hard to believe and am saddened by the demise of the "Oakland A's"  Probably my fave team other than the Twins. LOVE the green and yellow unis. Remember the white shoes? Campenaris, Blue, Tenace, Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Bando, Rudi etc., etc. I think it's terrible for MLB and esp the diehard A's fans. 

It is terrible, it’s terrible that the Bay Area can’t support 2 teams. It’s terrible that the team either had to resort to a public funded stadium or nothing at all. It’s terrible that MLB forced this to be resolved the way they did. But that’s the nature of everything going on. It’s big business and the A’s need to help contribute to MLB’s cash cow. It’s never been about the fans. It’s always been about profits and losses

[tarheeltwinsfan]

From my view here in North Carolina, I say to all you mid-west residents: "Be careful what you wish for".

[Guest]

On 1/10/2025 at 8:40 AM, nicksaviking said:

I'm sure billionaires are good at keeping things quiet when it benefits them. And of course good about leaking stuff when that benefits them as well.

Really, I think we were in the dark and they've been readying for this sale for an entire year. I'd bet good money that the 'right-sizing' payroll freeze last offseason was a reaction to the Pohlad's decision to sell, we just didn't know about it then.

NDAs are the rule for transactions, especially one of this size.

[Guest]

On 1/11/2025 at 8:44 AM, Hubie29 said:

As a 63 y/o lifelong MLB fan, I find it hard to believe and am saddened by the demise of the "Oakland A's"  Probably my fave team other than the Twins. LOVE the green and yellow unis. Remember the white shoes? Campenaris, Blue, Tenace, Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Bando, Rudi etc., etc. I think it's terrible for MLB and esp the diehard A's fans. 

The A's decline correlated directly with the city of Oakland's decline.  It's a corrupt, lawless hellhole that bears no resemblance whatsoever to 1970s Oakland.  There's a lesson there.

[Jocko87]

1 hour ago, Minderbinder said:

NDAs are the rule for transactions, especially one of this size.

100%.  Media leaks are just what they want out there in important situations.

I have been running this time line through my head.  If a transaction is to be closed by opening day we should be very close to finding out who it is.  Unless they want to keep it quiet until it’s final, which wouldn’t make a ton of sense, we are getting close to the point where things are getting signed. 

We are close to the point where if we don’t know a name, an opening day close becomes very unlikely. 

[ashbury]

57 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

100%.  Media leaks are just what they want out there in important situations.

I have been running this time line through my head.  If a transaction is to be closed by opening day we should be very close to finding out who it is.  Unless they want to keep it quiet until it’s final, which wouldn’t make a ton of sense, we are getting close to the point where things are getting signed. 

We are close to the point where if we don’t know a name, an opening day close becomes very unlikely. 

Concur.  I keep going back to the MLBTR article, 5 days old now so possibly out of date, which had a headline of "Sale Of Twins Could Be Reached By Opening Day" but the body of the article had a more circumspect "a sale agreement could be in place as soon as Opening Day."  Anyone who has bought or sold a home has had a similar situation - you get an agreement signed, and then there is a period of time until closing, during which any of several steps could still fall through.  I tend to go with the "agreement in place" wording until we hear something more definitive; any loosening of the payroll pursestrings will not likely occur just due to an agreement being put in motion.  Of course, it is possible that the agreement IS already in place and due diligence is underway and we won't hear more until the "closing" date is much nearer - buying a ballclub isn't totally similar to buying a house and the Twins aren't a publicly traded corporation where transparency is required.

[cmoss84]

On 1/10/2025 at 3:15 PM, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Hey!  The A’s were bad but not THAT bad!  😂

But they had MC Hammer as a bat boy!

[Rod Carews Birthday]

2 hours ago, cmoss84 said:

But they had MC Hammer as a bat boy!

HAMMER TIME!!!!!!

[Trov]

I am not worried about the Ishbas moving the team.  The clearly are business people and will go where the best money is most likely.  What concerns me more is that they are clear business people, similar to the Pholads were.  They may be sports fans though and be happy with just trying to increase the value of the team, operate at a loss if it means helping the team win and just write if off against their other, clearly profitable businesses. 

They talk a good game for NBA, but the NBA is in a bit different place than MLB.  One the CBA calls for split of revenue, so both sides have a real interest in increasing revenue, because as it increase both side get more.  In MLB there is no split and it is a fight for the biggest piece of pie, which I feel sometimes leads to a smaller pie overall. 

[SF Twins Fan]

Mat, Justin Ishbia Bought Chicago White Sox Stake in 2021

The Ishbia brothers have likely already been vetted by the MLB if this is the case.  Although, it could slow down the sale process since they will need to sell their ownership interest in the White Sox.

[NYCTK]

22 hours ago, Trov said:

I am not worried about the Ishbas moving the team.  The clearly are business people and will go where the best money is most likely.  What concerns me more is that they are clear business people, similar to the Pholads were.  They may be sports fans though and be happy with just trying to increase the value of the team, operate at a loss if it means helping the team win and just write if off against their other, clearly profitable businesses. 

They talk a good game for NBA, but the NBA is in a bit different place than MLB.  One the CBA calls for split of revenue, so both sides have a real interest in increasing revenue, because as it increase both side get more.  In MLB there is no split and it is a fight for the biggest piece of pie, which I feel sometimes leads to a smaller pie overall. 

Why do people keep saying this? This isn't true. Just like the Twin Cities aren't a small market. I feel like the Twins org has brainwashed it's fans into a 'poor us' mentality.