Tom Pohlad Wants to Earn Back Fans’ Trust. Can He Do It?

[Eric Blonigen]

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Tom Pohlad introduced himself as the new face of the Twins on Wednesday, after Joe Pohlad was apparently forced out of his role. Tom is now the sole member of the Pohlad family who will be involved in the business; he plans to be more active; and he claims (that, at least) to understand the challenges he will face. He recognizes that his family has eroded the trust of fans, and says he wants to earn it back. What will it take to get there?

Before I dig in, I do want to give a little context. If you have read my pieces on Twins Daily, you will know I am not one to make excuses for ownership. If anything, I am quick to put them on blast for the numerous decisions they have made regarding everything from payroll cuts to tone-deaf comments to media and fans. That said, this feels different, and I’m actually optimistic for the future of the franchise. I’ll share some quotes he gave to media, including Twins Daily’s own Matthew Trueblood, and discuss what I believe it will take to earn back trust.

Self-Awareness and Effective Communication

Perhaps the place to begin is by establishing some self-awareness from the latest Pohlad. When asked why he was taking the reins from Joe, Tom said:

“When we took a hard look at things, it’s undeniable that we haven’t won enough baseball games, the financial health of the club has been put in jeopardy, and we’ve got a fan base that has lost trust in us as owners and, as a result, this organization and the direction it’s headed … I’m well aware of how upset the fan base is with our family and with this organization. I view that as an opportunity for us. They care deeply about the sport of baseball. They care deeply about this team.”

“I also think that the fan base wants to feel some sort of connection with ownership, and they want to know that ownership cares just as much as they do," Pohlad added. "And I’m not sure that they’ve gotten that sense.”

That’s pretty clear, and very accurate. It appears that Tom has ideas on how to put action behind those words. When asked how he plans to make fans like him, he had a ready answer.

“I think the work of earning back their trust comes with two things: communication and accountability. We’ve got to do a better job of telling fans where we’re going, how we’re going to get there, and why we’re doing the things we’re doing. And I commit to that going forward.”

Now, I don’t have much to add here. It seems as though Tom has correctly identified the issues, and the solution for them.

Payroll

Of course, this is an important aspect of winning back trust. In a separate interview with WCCO’s Chad Hartman, Pohlad spoke to the “right-sizing” of the payroll following the 2023 Twins breaking their playoff curse, and he fully acknowledged the impact that had.

"We made what we thought at the time was a responsible financial decision, and we obviously failed to consider the long-term impact of that decision, and the short-term impact of that decision, frankly," he said. "We sucked the air right out of our fan base, and it did significant damage to our brand and to our family from a confidence standpoint. Plain and simple, we got it wrong.”

Yeah. That. By acknowledging that mistake, it seems that he understands the correlation between trying to compete when the window is open and fan morale. Applying this to the 2026 payroll, it’s been broadly reported that the 2026 payroll is unlikely to eclipse $120 million and may be more likely to sit in the $110-115 million range. When asked directly about the budget for the year, Tom demurred.

“I don’t think … that we should put a significant investment into the team of $50 or $60 million dollars, but I don’t think we’re far off from that.”

That can be interpreted two different ways: either that they may spend an additional, say, $30 million this offseason, or that 2026 will be down, but 2027 (if all goes well) could be right back near league average. Either way, a surefire way to earn back trust and build morale would be to do exactly that: provide a payroll commensurate with the openness of the competitive window, and roughly in the middle of the league pack.

Improving the Team

When asked about the balancing act between winning back the fan base and building for long-term success, Pohlad gave the only answer of the day that sounded rehearsed—but which also appeared to be his mission statement.

“We owe the fan base something; we owe our veteran and star players something; and we owe this organization something," he said. "And that something is hope.”

Now, that’s a great place to start. Hope is, after all, what brings us as fans together every spring. But what about winning?

“I think we are certainly within reach of winning a division title this year," Pohlad opined. "And I think we’ll continue to look at moves we can make that will help us accomplish that.”

He also acknowledged that the Twins' process hasn’t been working the way anyone would hope.

“We need to rethink how we put a championship-caliber team on the field. That work begins this year," he said. "We’re laying the foundation for ultimately what we hope will be a nucleus that can be a championship-caliber team and that warrants a championship-level investment."

Finally, he spoke about the Dodgers, and alluded to looking at all avenues of improving the team—both on and off the field. Again, this shows a good understanding of the assignment, and is promising.

Now, I’m an “action speaks louder than words” kind of guy, so my optimism is guarded. However, I am impressed with a few aspects of Pohlad’s introductory interview. First, there was a noted lack of self-importance in his interviews. Second, he seems to realize that sports teams exist for the fans, not for ownership. Third, he said he wants to do the work to change the narrative, rather than just expecting fans to perceive his family as the heroes of the story.

Now, it’s time for Tom to do that work to prove to fans that ownership truly wants to win. That, more than anything else, will bring back the fans.

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[Rod Carews Birthday]

I will be as patient as Tom’s level of leadership will allow me to be.  It means some meaningful spending additions.  It means building an effective team.  It means winning baseball.  It means re-engaging the fan base.  When/if there is failure on those accounts, he will lose my support, just as he should have previously pulled his support from the baseball people who were making bad decisions.  I don’t know.  Maybe he did, but we don’t know either way and need to  move on from here. 

I’m not naive.  It’s going to take some time.  I’m also not stupid.  It’s going to take some investment and effort on his part as well.  It’s your gig now, Tom.  Let’s see what you’ve got.  I am and will remain a fan of the Twins, but Tom, you could make this a LOT easier if you try. 

[Nashvilletwin]

Tough Talking Tom.  He says what he thinks the fans want to hear (and those are good things), but he has yet to put any specifics behind a strategy that go beyond his bromides.

Supposedly, he has been in charge for at least a month.  That means the very uninspiring and business as usual additions of Shelton and Bell (as well as the refusal to trade our valuable but most likely to be deteriorating assets) are on his slate already.  Based on these actions, his comments (i.e.“we owe the vets”, “we can compete this year”) and no commitment to expanded payroll, it very well appears that no significant change is on the way, certainly in the near term.

Ok, we all get it.  The Twins are going to roll out this team with a few marginal, low cost additions, possibly primarily in the bullpen, and see what happens.  But if things go south, does Tough Talking Tom have the balls to make the tough calls on trades and the baseball leadership?  Hmmm, perhaps.  But the more he actually talks, the less confidence we fans should have.

Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt for now.  He deserves a honeymoon.  But let’s also be realistic in that nothing he has said or actually done to date represents any sort of fundamental shift in the critical baseball strategy part of all this.  In fact, it seems to support more of the same.

Here is one idea to show that you are different and to demonstrate to the fans that there is commitment to building a winner: extend Ryan now.  That would send a very clear message.

[tony&rodney]

The honeymoon is over tomorrow. The Twins desperately need a new person to make roster and transaction decisions. If Tom Pohlad cannot make that simple change which doesn't involve firing anyone but merely a clear division of duties, then he is just another Talking Head, "You may ask yourself, Well how did I get here?"

Can he do it? He's on the clock. Hold your money and don't gamble boys.

[LastOnePicked]

This is the moment is where I lose all optimism and trust:

“I think we are certainly within reach of winning a division title this year," Pohlad opined. "And I think we’ll continue to look at moves we can make that will help us accomplish that.”

This is so, so delusional. It's false hope. This team is light years behind the Guardians in terms of player development. The Royals and Tigers have far more talented rosters and a better plan for success. Even the White Sox are getting ready to slide out of the cellar.

This slow, injury-prone 92 loss team that has added virtually nothing is going to ... compete for a division? Get real.

It's not straight talk - it's pandering. It's being too afraid to communicate with us - and with the veteran players - directly about the state of the franchise. But by not facing the roster rot head on, it means this team will have an even harder time getting premium value for veterans later on, and it may damage the Twins' ability to have a better draft advantage in 2027.

So no, I have no optimism from any of this. If you can't make the unpopular, hard decisions on Day 1, then you can't expect to lead us into a new direction. This team is owned and run by people who don't even remotely understand what winning baseball looks like.

[ziggy]

Quote

“We owe the fan base something; we owe our veteran and star players something; and we owe this organization something," he said. "And that something is hope.”

Hope is the epitomy of "wait until next year".

The biggest stamp the Pohlad family had on the '87 and '91 champs was hiring Andy McFail. Since then the Twins were only close to the american league championship once.

He is correct in that what they are doing is not working. Good for him for recognizing that much.

 

[Linus]

Just now, ziggy said:

Hope is the epitomy of "wait until next year".

The biggest stamp the Pohlad family had on the '87 and '91 champs was hiring Andy McFail. Since then the Twins were only close to the american league championship once.

He is correct in that what they are doing is not working. Good for him for recognizing that much.

 

I really don’t care what he says. I’ll be judging by his actions. If he really has been in charge for a month then it’s business as usual, which is not acceptable. 

[mike8791]

As of now, he has no credibility.  This is the height of the offseason when the most valuable FAs are available.  Is this org. going to be agressive and add to the bullpen with some seasoned performers who can fill the 7th, 8th and 9th inning slots that are now vacant,  or will they follow previous practice of dumpster diving in Jan/Feb and rely on unproven minor leaguers who have never pitched in critical situations at the major league level?  This is the time to strike.  The big names in the relief area are mostly gone but a few remain. 

As always with this franchise, it's all about the money.  I have some confidence in Falvey to improve the pen given more money.   This is where the new CEO must step up now and give him the green light; otherwise, this is just more Pohlad BS.

[KirbyDome89]

51 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

This is the moment is where I lose all optimism and trust:

“I think we are certainly within reach of winning a division title this year," Pohlad opined. "And I think we’ll continue to look at moves we can make that will help us accomplish that.”

This is so, so delusional. It's false hope. This team is light years behind the Guardians in terms of player development. The Royals and Tigers have far more talented rosters and a better plan for success. Even the White Sox are getting ready to slide out of the cellar.

This slow, injury-prone 92 loss team that has added virtually nothing is going to ... compete for a division? Get real.

It's not straight talk - it's pandering. It's being too afraid to communicate with us - and with the veteran players - directly about the state of the franchise. But by not facing the roster rot head on, it means this team will have an even harder time getting premium value for veterans later on, and it may damage the Twins' ability to have a better draft advantage in 2027.

So no, I have no optimism from any of this. If you can't make the unpopular, hard decisions on Day 1, then you can't expect to lead us into a new direction. This team is owned and run by people who don't even remotely understand what winning baseball looks like.

100% agree that this organization is pandering. 

Disagree that the division is out of reach. I'm not advocating for this club to push all their chips in, but Cleveland and Detroit shouldn't scare anybody. They're middling clubs (just like the Twins) who are relevant only because they've been blessed to be grouped in the central with other middling/dysfunctional/cheap organizations. 

[CRF]

Can he do it? I suppose it's possible...hell, anything's possible. I don't think he will though. My money's on the side of absolutely nothing changing whatsoever. It's still the Pohlads running the show. A handful of new investors won't do anything. Completely new ownership is the only chance to get this thing out of the gutter. 

[Hrbeks Divot]

I’ll be the Charlie Brown and hope the football doesn’t get pulled this time. Tom has a year to prove to me there are changes coming. Might we win the division? Yes, but only because nobody wants to jump up and grab it. If Skubal is traded it’s even more of a toss up. I’m fine with not trading any more veterans but I’d like to see a long term extension offer for Ryan and a three year de lobfor Jeffers. After that we roll with what we have, hope the kids arrive and augment with free agents in 27 to really open the window. 

[Mahoning]

I like how he said they made a responsible financial decision without considering the long term or the short term. That’s leadership!

[mikelink45]

Not with words.  Actions, changes.  We have had enough Pohlad doublespeak - now we are all skeptical and it is up to him to prove us wrong.

[Jacksson]

NO

[SteveLV]

Extend Jeffers.

Extend Ryan.

Sign some good players, not "mid tier" players.

Then we will believe you.

Not too difficult, really.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

1 hour ago, LastOnePicked said:

This is the moment is where I lose all optimism and trust:

“I think we are certainly within reach of winning a division title this year," Pohlad opined. "And I think we’ll continue to look at moves we can make that will help us accomplish that.”

This is so, so delusional. It's false hope. This team is light years behind the Guardians in terms of player development. The Royals and Tigers have far more talented rosters and a better plan for success. Even the White Sox are getting ready to slide out of the cellar.

This slow, injury-prone 92 loss team that has added virtually nothing is going to ... compete for a division? Get real.

It's not straight talk - it's pandering. It's being too afraid to communicate with us - and with the veteran players - directly about the state of the franchise. But by not facing the roster rot head on, it means this team will have an even harder time getting premium value for veterans later on, and it may damage the Twins' ability to have a better draft advantage in 2027.

So no, I have no optimism from any of this. If you can't make the unpopular, hard decisions on Day 1, then you can't expect to lead us into a new direction. This team is owned and run by people who don't even remotely understand what winning baseball looks like.

On the other hand, he did say "People hate our f***ing guts and they have every right to"..... which buys 6-8 months of credibility with me. When was the last time you heard a billionaire say that lol. That's as much of a housecleaning statetment as we are going to get. I don't expect them to spend any money this year. I would like to see a Jeffers extension, if anything.

[chpettit19]

Can he? Yes, it is a possibility. Will he? Not until he does things noticeably different for multiple years in a row.

[Blyleven2011]

If you give falvey the money and he spends it wisely on quality players that perform and produce than we can celebrate  ...

Falvey hasn't been known to spend wisely so that is a detriment to this organization  ...

This is it , last year for falvey with the baseball side of it , have him just stick to being on the business operations and outcof the way of the game ...

If he gets the money and we finish 500 or above , then he did his job , improvement is what we need , if the same players he trots out for the 3rd consecutive year don't improve it's time for falvey to step aside ...

I was being nice and didn't say fire him ...

[NYCTK]

4 hours ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt for now.  

Lol. No. 

No, Tom cannot win back the fans. No amount of bloviation is going to increase attendance. 

We as a society need to stop giving so much credit to the billionaire class.

The Twins didn't win the world series because of some ******* banker, and they only partially actually suck now because of that same *******s loser nepo babies. The credit for the failure does fall more at Falvey's feet, but because the Pohalds are incompetent, they haven't canned his ass. 

 

[Major League Ready]

The 1st thing they need to do if we are to compete is buy a BP to replace the guys they traded.   That would pretty much take up their entire budget.  Of course, we would just put the team back to where they started from with last year's terrible team, minus Correa.   Sounds like the same old thing.  Go get Bichette on top of a BP and that would be better than Correa so we theoretically would be a couple games better than last year.  Big deal!  That team might have a chance to be 500 and basically stay in the race until August if several players perform far better and of course good health.  

Does anyone believe they are going to spend $175M?  Would they and should they replace players like Lewis, Lee, and Martin.  Should they abandon Martin, Roden, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, and Culpepper.  Outside of Martin . none of these guys is ready to contribute now and if they sign a big free agent or sign for an established star these guys are not starting on a ML roster.  How are they going to pursue a post season berth differently if they are not going to spend big and trade away our best prospects to fill the holes in the OF, 3B, and SS?  Of course, 1B is not exactly a strength either?  

[LastOnePicked]

3 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Cleveland and Detroit shouldn't scare anybody. They're middling clubs

They're maybe middling clubs in the grand scheme of MLB. Here's how they recently stack up to the Twins:

Cleveland: (2024) 92-69; (2025) 88-74

Detroit: (2024) 86-76; (2025) 86-76

Twins (2024) 82-80; (2025) 70-92

These 2026 Twins have dropped another $30M in payroll and have no bullpen. The Tigers are Guardians are again building off of playoffs years. Oh, and both Cleveland and Detroit's farm systems are ranked higher than the Twins, even after the trade deadline sell-off.

So, perhaps they shouldn't scare most teams, and I don't want to see the Twins afraid of them either. But they're in a totally different AL Central class at this point, and this team as currently constructed won't finish within 10 games of either one of them.

So I respectfully disagree.

 

[LastOnePicked]

2 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

"People hate our f***ing guts and they have every right to"..... which buys 6-8 months of credibility with me. When was the last time you heard a billionaire say that lol.

That means absolutely nothing. It cost him nothing to say. It says nothing about his ability to make hard decisions. 

Credibility should be earned by action and results. Period.

[AlLagoon]

As one of 5 brothers, we aren't all the same - far from it; many different skills can lurk beneath the same name.

Joe flopped in this role. 

Tom might be great. Who knows?

Willing to give him a chance, and not hold his last name against him.

[sweetmusicviola16]

How do you trust someone that you can't trust?

[sweetmusicviola16]

By the way Tom, in the month that you've been in charge your new way has acquired Orze, Jackson and Bell. And you've announced that you're not moving any of the most valuable pieces that could be used to benefit the teams future the most. Enough said. Firing Falvey a month ago would have generated some trust from me. It's a team that can't spend the real money that is needed to compete and won't use the pieces that it has to compete. Dysfunction at it's highest level. If you're not going to extend Ryan, Lopez and Jeffers you're wasting their value. Dysfunction.

[nclahammer]

As a lifelong Minnesota Twins fan, my level of fandom has taken a hit.   For the first time in decades I am not a Twins season ticket holder.  The cost for my cheapest seats in the ballpark has more than doubled since 2010 and the perks season ticket holders used to receive has diminished.   I'm not even wearing my Minnesota Twins jackets or hats this winter, I bought a new coat and just have no desire to wear the team gear right now.  I'm still checking out Twins Daily,...well daily,,,and following their news and moves, but something just feels different this off season.   Tom Pohlad has a lot of work to do.

[Dawgzilla]

Simple...ahhhhh....NO!!!!  They have destroyed their fanbase with their spending of being "small market"!  "Middlin" is fine with them....and the stadium "experience"!  Whatever!

[Woof Bronzer]

Tom claims to have been in charge for a month now.  He showed up with Joe in a press conference in September, so likely his involvement goes at least back to then.  Regardless, he has been intimately involved in the strategy discussions for this offseason.

Which means Mr "I Don't Do Half Measures" was on board with....hiring one of the losingest managers in MLB history....using the Rule 5 draft not to get desperately needed relief help for this year, but a high school catcher who might sniff the majors in 8 years....signing a backup catcher who is one of the worst hitters in MLB history, and will almost certainly get 60 starts.....and spending around half of the free agent budget on the 130th best free agent who has been worse than replacement level over the last 3 years.  

The more things change the more they stay the same.  

[jmlease1]

Eh, we'll see. Part of the loss of trust that Tom has recognized is that people are going to be rightfully skeptical that changing which Pohlad is in charge will make a meaningful difference.

There's also the issue that people want to see something big and splashy as proof that things are different...but usually when there's an ownership change, teams that make those kinds of big splashy "new owner" moves frequently regret them. Would I love for the Twins to pump the payroll, go get a significant FA, etc? Sure would...but not if it means ratcheting things back again in 2 years.

I'll take incremental action and better/smarter communication for now. Can't have more statements like at the deadline that look like they were written by AI and were utterly disconnected from reality. Can't have ownership isolated from the fanbase: sorry, billionaires, but you might have to mingle with the masses.

Show us what you intend to do to increase interest in the club, grow the fanbase, increase revenue, and put butts in seats. Get 20,000 people IN Target Field, not just sell 20,000 tickets. Show us you're not just biding time for a new CBA or a franchise sale in 2-3 years.

[Otaknam]

So the Pohlads had a “come to Jesus” moment, and decided that Tom will be better than Joe as the spokesperson. So the messenger will be different, but if the message on low salary structure is the same I won’t be impressed. Tom needs to make a splash with a trade or signing, but Josh Bell isn’t it. Trading for Coby Mayo would be a start and would get my attention.