Dear Pohlads: Don't Do This

Any longtime fan of the Twins has heard multiple variations of “cheap Pohlads” hundreds of times, often with good reason. For decades, the Twins were known throughout baseball as misers. Former GM Terry Ryan took pride in not spending his entire budget each offseason. The Twins constantly referred to themselves as a small-market team, despite being in a firmly mid-size media market. By the way, the Pohlads are roughly baseball’s 10th-richest owners.

For a while, ownership appeared to be turning the corner, getting payroll to a league-average level, making surprisingly aggressive free-agent signings for guys like Carlos Correa, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Donaldson, and signing Byron Buxton and Pablo López to long-term extensions. These decisions bought a measure of trust and goodwill from the fans, because they seemed like down payments on long-term growth toward the middle of the league in payroll.

However, at the onset of this past offseason, they went on record saying they needed to “right-size” payroll, and that they had been “losing money,” despite the team value skyrocketing as an asset.

They proceeded to trim $30 million in payroll compared to 2023, and hinted that further future cuts are likely. The Twins began the 2024 season with the 20th-highest payroll, despite being the 15th-largest media market. The lowly Royals, with the 34th-largest media market in the U.S. at their disposal, are 16th in payroll and are planning on spending at the deadline.

Naturally, on the heels of a division-winning season in which the Twins broke their playoff losing streak, this infuriated fans, and rightfully so. Likewise, the Twins' (supposed) commitment to making it easier for fans to watch games, then re-upping with Bally, turned some fans away. The Bally/Comcast disagreement leading to most local fans being unable to watch games through cable providers this season has led many nearly to a breaking point. Not making significant signings or trades this offseason, other than offloading a beloved veteran in Jorge Polanco, disgusted still others.

While the purpose of any business is to make money, fans are not stockholders, and it’s a mistake for ownership to treat them as such. Fans attend, watch (hah), or listen to games night after night because they care. Because they believe. Because they want to be a part of something wonderful. Baseball exists for the fans.

If the fans believe that ownership doesn’t care about them (or about fielding a team that can win the World Series), then why should they care about the team? Why not watch the Olympics instead? Why not go to a Loons game? At this point, it’s unclear that ownership cares. Instead, they reference declining attendance as a reason for declining payroll, putting the blame on the fans. That is a shortsighted mistake.

Over the past few days, we have seen the Yankees, Mariners, Red Sox, and Orioles all make moves to improve their playoff odds. The Royals, Astros, and Rangers are all publicly linked to big-name players. The Twins haven’t been publicly linked to anyone. Nobody.

Any savvy business owner is well-served by considering not just the short-term profit-and-loss statement, but also the long-term outlook and health of their organization. Ownership has demonstrated this understanding in the past, when they were one of the first teams in 2020 to announce they were keeping all staff hired and paid. They have also made significant investments into player amenities, offering daycare services to players’ families and ensuring that free agents will want to sign here. Remember the Nelson Cruz nap room?

The time is now to continue to invest in the long-term health of the franchise, by proving to fans that winning and the fan experience are as important as the bottom line of the balance sheet. Make the trades that allow for keeping pace with the Yankees, Orioles, Mariners, Astros, Guardians, Royals, and Rangers. Get the frontline starter and setup-caliber lefty that will push the team over the hump. Show the fans that the goal is playing meaningful games deep into October.

Fail to do so, and the Pohlads are setting the stage for fan apathy, further declines in attendance, and a long-term shrinking of the fan base. This type of payroll constraint can create a vicious cycle that will disenchant fans for years to come.

You have to turn the boat around, Joe. You're turning from what looks like tough weather toward a fatal iceberg. Be bold, and brave the stormy seas. It's not too late for that, but you have little time left to change course. Otherwise, you'll sink this ship in cold, calm water, with the masses who stand ready to help out of range and losing interest.

What do you think? Will a lack of trade at the deadline push you further away as a fan? Or do you think the Pohlads will approve the payroll to swing for the fences? Comment below!