The Pohlads May Still Be Planning to Sell the Twins

[dxpavelka]

Everybody forgets one small point in this matter:  The Pohlads NEVER, at any point, said the WERE going to see the team.  The only thing that was EVER said was that they were going in investigate a sale.  Nobody met the price they were looking for.  End of story.

[Major League Ready]

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

I assume any salary floor would come hand in hand with increased revenue sharing.  Players have resisted increased revenue sharing in the past because they had no reason to trust the owners to reinvest their revenue sharing funds into the roster.  In fact, it's salary suppression because it takes funds from those willing to spend and gives it to those that aren't.  If I'm the players, as long as you have a cap pegged to our acceptable % of revenue and a floor at our acceptable % of the cap, then share revenue however you please to make that happen.  There would no longer be a reason to oppose it.

I also assume a floor would come along with complete reform of the pre-free agency salary structure - higher minimums, fewer arb or pre-arb years, mechanisms to get rid of service time manipulation.

In reality, I could see this end up settling on a soft cap.  Both sides would be able to claim victory to some degree - the players fought off a hard cap, the owners won a cap of some kind.  Hopefully, both sides recognize the damage that lost games would do to their impending TV rights negotiations in 2028

We would all love revenue sharing that diminished the revenue disparity such that it was roughly equivalent to the NFL.   Well, those of us in markets that produce less revenue.  The problem with this is the top teams would lose a billion dollars in value and of course the bottom teams would gain a billion.  There is no way in hell the top teams are accepting a massive loss in value.  The revenue disparity has grown wildly and now is somewhat at the point of no return.  They did try to manage it with the luxury tax but if you recall the players were very insistent on raising the luxury tax levels significantly.   

[Major League Ready]

2 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

No, they'd all be in the same boat because there would no longer be a 'bottom half of revenue'. Just like the other sports.

Sure, in a fantasy world where the top teams were willing to just give away a third of their revenue so that fans in small markets are happy.  That's just not remotely realistic.

[purplesoldier4u]

7 hours ago, NYCTK said:

They're terrible businesspeople. This is known. 

But there will not be a salary cap.

I wouldn't be so sure. Some team may even oppose it because they make more money by not spending money than they do by spending it. What is some owners were forced to have a soft and hard floor, like a soft and hard cap? What if rosters were expanded by one or two players?

The players and their union need something to fight for and the possibility of more money and more MLB opportunities is right in their parenthetical wheelhouse.

[nicksaviking]

24 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Sure, in a fantasy world where the top teams were willing to just give away a third of their revenue so that fans in small markets are happy.  That's just not remotely realistic.

Then you’re not following. They are the ones pushing for a salary cap which obviously will never happen unless they agree to an NFL/NBA style floor. 
 

It’s a complete 180, so the motives are unclear, but suspicion is letting the big markets share the Vegas and expansion money may be motivation 

[sweetmusicviola16]

The picture of the owner in the lead of the story he looks like a clown. His ownership resembles that of a clown as well. He should sell the team and audition for a circus or the rodeo. 

[Vanimal46]

2 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

Way too convoluted IMO.

The NHL probably has it best.

The NHL is easier to follow for sure. I’m thinking of concessions to make for the large market teams who will want to feel like they can gain an advantage. 

[Vanimal46]

1 hour ago, Major League Ready said:

We would all love revenue sharing that diminished the revenue disparity such that it was roughly equivalent to the NFL.   Well, those of us in markets that produce less revenue.  The problem with this is the top teams would lose a billion dollars in value and of course the bottom teams would gain a billion.  There is no way in hell the top teams are accepting a massive loss in value.  The revenue disparity has grown wildly and now is somewhat at the point of no return.  They did try to manage it with the luxury tax but if you recall the players were very insistent on raising the luxury tax levels significantly.   

All of the other major sports in the US realized they need to be one for all or all for none decades ago. But baseball keeps dragging their feet. The Chicago Bears in the 1940s and 50s could have decimated professional football as we know it today because they were the large market and outspend everyone. But the league realized back in the 1960s that sharing revenue collectively was best to expand the game and league. If they decided every team’s finances are determined by their local market, Green Bay Packers would have been dead in the water. 

[Vanimal46]

It’s really no surprise why baseball hasn’t expanded in 30 years even though it’s brought up every year. There are no cities available to expand where they can be sustainable with their local revenue.

[TheLeviathan]

4 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

It’s really no surprise why baseball hasn’t expanded in 30 years even though it’s brought up every year. There are no cities available to expand where they can be sustainable with their local revenue.

Fully agree.  I keep hearing Salt Lake City and laugh.  Like....that town absolutely cannot support baseball.

[Vanimal46]

3 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

Fully agree.  I keep hearing Salt Lake City and laugh.  Like....that town absolutely cannot support baseball.

Hell, I’m extremely skeptical that Las Vegas will support baseball. That city has been getting crushed by lack of tourists. The tourists that show up have an abundance of other entertainment options besides a random A’s game on a Friday night. 

[Major League Ready]

2 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

All of the other major sports in the US realized they need to be one for all or all for none decades ago. But baseball keeps dragging their feet. The Chicago Bears in the 1940s and 50s could have decimated professional football as we know it today because they were the large market and outspend everyone. But the league realized back in the 1960s that sharing revenue collectively was best to expand the game and league. If they decided every team’s finances are determined by their local market, Green Bay Packers would have been dead in the water. 

No argument here but we are where we are.  The top teams are not going to give away their advantage competitively or financially.  Getting them even close to equal would be an enormous financial redistribution and that's never going to happen.  Something more modest would still help but the players fought hard against that last time.  You may recall they wanted to reduce revenue sharing.

[Major League Ready]

3 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Then you’re not following. They are the ones pushing for a salary cap which obviously will never happen unless they agree to an NFL/NBA style floor. 
 

It’s a complete 180, so the motives are unclear, but suspicion is letting the big markets share the Vegas and expansion money may be motivation 

You are not following.  MLB has a far greater revenue disparity.  The floor would have to be under $150M because some of the teams can't spend that and remain profitable.  Their franchise value of a business making nothing is nothing.  A floor is viable for a league who started that standard a long time ago before revenue disparity got out of control.   Are the players going to accept a $200M cap?  That's what it would take in order to get to spending parity similar to the NFL/NHL.

[The Great Hambino]

4 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

We would all love revenue sharing that diminished the revenue disparity such that it was roughly equivalent to the NFL.   Well, those of us in markets that produce less revenue.  The problem with this is the top teams would lose a billion dollars in value and of course the bottom teams would gain a billion.  There is no way in hell the top teams are accepting a massive loss in value.  The revenue disparity has grown wildly and now is somewhat at the point of no return.  They did try to manage it with the luxury tax but if you recall the players were very insistent on raising the luxury tax levels significantly.   

If you recall, there was no mechanism to make the bad actors actually spend their redistributions, so of course the players rejected it,  They would have been profoundly stupid if they hadn’t 

I reject the premise completely that revenue parity can’t happen since the other three major leagues prove that it can.  If the owners want a salary cap, then they’re delusional if they think they’re getting one without making some major concessions in those negotiations 

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

If you recall, there was no mechanism to make the bad actors actually spend their redistributions, so of course the players rejected it,  They would have been profoundly stupid if they hadn’t 

I reject the premise completely that revenue parity can’t happen since the other three major leagues prove that it can.  If the owners want a salary cap, then they’re delusional if they think they’re getting one without making some major concessions in those negotiations 

The expansion team fee ALONE is expected to be 2B - 2.5B.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/08/28/mlb-office-surprised-by-surge-in-expansion-realignment-interest/
 

And these are for markets smaller than the ones who supposedly can’t support these 150M floors. If those expansion fees are disproportionately, or entirely given to the big market owners, that may be what has gotten them to talk salary caps and floors, which obviously will require full or close enough to fill revenue sharing like every other sport. I mean, they KNOW it has to be done or the sport will collapse, this kind of up front payoff may have been the carrot. 
 

 

[Major League Ready]

7 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

If you recall, there was no mechanism to make the bad actors actually spend their redistributions, so of course the players rejected it,  They would have been profoundly stupid if they hadn’t 

I reject the premise completely that revenue parity can’t happen since the other three major leagues prove that it can.  If the owners want a salary cap, then they’re delusional if they think they’re getting one without making some major concessions in those negotiations 

I am not arguing for a cap.  The luxury tax is a better vehicle because the money is partially distributed to players.  My point is that a floor is not viable given the enormous disparity in income.  

[Doctor Gast]

Another carrot was dangled in front of us to try to inspire hope. Waiting another 1 1/2 years is too late; change should have happened years ago. You don't keep doubling down on a failed process; you shut it down pronto. Hope based on luck isn't sustainable. The league has the book out on Falvey, Baldelli, & their philosophies. Nothing is going to change until there is a change from the top down, sooner the better. Or you'll lose future generational fans, casual fans & even hardcore fans. They'll find something better to occupy their time. Which is very sad

[Vanimal46]

10 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

No argument here but we are where we are.  The top teams are not going to give away their advantage competitively or financially.  Getting them even close to equal would be an enormous financial redistribution and that's never going to happen.  Something more modest would still help but the players fought hard against that last time.  You may recall they wanted to reduce revenue sharing.

I appreciate you bringing up this side of the argument. It’s an absolute mess in MLB - that’s why I am concerned the 2027 season will be lost in order to make major changes. 

[Thumbs Down Guy]

"Instead, the supposed light at the end of the tunnel turned out to be nothing more than a painted brick wall..."

I think it is late enough in the comment section for me to say, I believe that the wall was actually painted black and perspective buyers thought the product would be too hot to approach and it scared them back to where they came from.

[MesaTwinsFan]

As a life long Twins fan I have become accustomed to ultra cheap owners. Fans were elated when Calvin sold the team and bought the line he'll spend more money without even checking Pohlads business practices which told everyone he was a thrifty penny pinching back stabbing business man. Rare are the buyers who  come with the idea that this is fun and profitable if run with that in mind so fans look forward decade's of mediocre performance and big talk.

[Pat]

The players will never except a salary cap. It's a pipe dream of the commissioner and the owners think it's going to happen.  Considering the amount of money generated by MLB as a business, this idea by the owners is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. 

 

[ashbury]

10 hours ago, Thumbs Down Guy said:

"Instead, the supposed light at the end of the tunnel turned out to be nothing more than a painted brick wall..."

I think it is late enough in the comment section for me to say, I believe that the wall was actually painted black and perspective buyers thought the product would be too hot to approach and it scared them back to where they came from.

[palmspringstwinsfan]

The Pohlads will own the team as long as brother Bob runs the Pohlad companies and he can’t find anything else for son Joe to do. Joe has screwed up everything else he tried so Bob doesn’t want him near the other businesses that Joe’s brothers run. The Twins start off every year with almost $200M from MLB and have a compliant exec running the team so how much bottom line damage can he really do? (The debt was rung up mainly by Jim.) Joe found the other investors so he could save his job, blindsiding a group that was raising the funds to buy the club. Jim wanted to sell and Bill P doesn’t care. This is all about Bob finding employment for Joe, so long as there isn’t too much damage to the family fortune. 

[Rhyno006]

On 8/29/2025 at 12:39 PM, NYCTK said:

Remember, any potential labor stoppage is the OWNERS fault, not the players. 

A bunch of idiots forgot this back in 1994. 

Can you elaborate on that please? My understanding is that the owners would welcome a salary floor/cap but the players don't want to have possibly limited top end salaries. 

[Morland]

I fully expect that after the Pohlads have paid down their debt over the next few years that they will put the team up for sale again. With an agreement with the players and much less debt, the Pohlads will receive the ego boost of getting their asking price for the team. I think they were afraid that if they took less than their asking price that Grandpa Carl would roll over in his grave.

[Scott not the real Smiley]

This doesn’t feel close to the end of Pohlad ownership. In 1997, Carl had a signed letter of intent to sell the team to a NC businessman only to be thwarted by voters there who were not willing to fund a new stadium. And then 4 years later Pohlad agreed to kill the franchise but for a sketchy legal ruling on the Metrodome lease agreement. Now we are to believe they will get an inflated valuation that they will find a buyer willing to pay after getting 1.) the most significant concession in history from the MLBPA and 2.) a fundamental structural change in revenue sharing. Whether it’s the hope that kills you, or you believe in miracles, being rid of the Pohlads anytime soon feels like the longest of shots much less the closest it’s ever been in the last 40 years.

[dxpavelka]

It's never been "planning" to sell the team.  It's always been "exploring" a sale of the team.  Will a sale be more palatable when a labor agreement is place?  Sure.  Might keeping the team also be more palatable at said time?  Absolutely.