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When the revelation surfaced last October that the Pohlad family was actively exploring a sale of the Minnesota Twins franchise they've owned for over 40 years, it came as music to the ears of frustrated fans. But the news also came with a caveat: don't expect things to necessarily move quickly. Historically the high-stakes process of selling a pro sports team has often been slow and methodical, stretching out over multiple years and in many cases failing to come to fruition.
In the case of the Twins, there were an added number of complications at play, ranging from the attractiveness of the market to the morale of the fanbase to future uncertainty around TV revenue. In spite of these factors, it sounds like momentum is building toward completion of a sale in the near future.
Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported earlier this week, via industry sources, that the club has a "robust market" and that there's a belief the Twins could be sold by Opening Day. That date falls on March 27th — exactly 11 weeks from now. It's still a decent length of time but it's quicker than most anticipated and suggests that there is little doubt a deal will be reached resulting in a Pohlad family exit.
"MLB has already begun to vet potential owners," writes Hayes, "and will take a deeper look at stronger candidates as the transaction nears a close."
In December, reports emerged that Suns minority owner Justin Ishbia was among those interested in buying the Twins, with his fellow billionaire brother Mat likely factoring into an ownership group. Presumably Ishbia is among the finalists whose legitimate interest and capability is helping fuel confidence in a somewhat imminent conclusion to this saga. Based on the limited information we have, he would have to be considered the favorite.
"The industry source briefed on their plans said the Ishbia brothers are very interested in purchasing the Twins and have held several meetings with local leaders," Hayes shared in his latest. When the Ishbia rumors began to gain steam, our Tom Froemming shared his thoughts about what such an ownership transition might mean for the franchise and its fans:
For Twins fans, it's hard to feel anything but immense optimism about this developing story. The franchise has fallen into a major rut since the high point we all experienced in 2023; there has not been one single particularly significant addition or exciting move made since the postseason exit as the front office has been directed the shed payroll and lay low.
The dampened fan morale has been reflected in just about every indicator across the board. Attendance was down last year, viewership was down, and in 2024 Twins Daily experienced a year-over-year drop in traffic for the first time in its history. People are checked out, and they need a reason to check back in. A change in ownership could provide exactly that. Given the seemingly active and aggressive buyer market, it's hard to believe a new regime would not come in looking to shake things up with a positive statement and increased payroll investment.
Hayes reports that his source "believes it will be a complete sale of the Twins with an immediate takeover in control," unlike the prolonged three-stage process that was planned for the neighboring Timberwolves (which is now in doubt).
While it's probably too late to hope for a major change in the spending outlook for the 2025 season, and the kind of late-breaking impact additions that could entail this offseason, a sale being completed by the end of March would set the stage for a near-term shift in spending philosophy, perhaps with flexibility to add salary during the season (which they clearly lacked last year), and certainly beyond.
What are your reactions to this report and the potential for a changing of the guard before the regular season gets underway? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.
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