Joe Pohald recently stated that he and his family are “just trying to right-size our business.” when he was asked about the $120M payroll for 2024, which is ranked 20 out of the 30 teams. When I think of the term “right-sizing”, I think of the promise that was made when we approved and funded the stadium for the Twins. The promise that the Pohlad family made in an 08/13/2008 Star Tribune article called “TWIN CITIES SPORTS OWNERS: the pohlads, minnesota twins BAND OF BROTHERS EXTENDS A LEGACY”
In another 2008 article Dave St. Peter stated:
Are the Twins in the process of “right-sizing” their payroll of $120M to match revenue of $240M? That is a laughable suggestion but let’s back that up with facts. We know as a fact from the last collective bargaining agreement that all teams get $200 million in revenue sharing. In addition, it is widely believed that the Twins are getting $40 million+ this year from BSN. So, without lifting a finger, playing a game, or even having a second to lie to its fans the Twins are making enough revenue to make the 50% rule work for the current payroll.
What might a team make beyond the revenue sharing and TV deal? We can estimate that by looking at the Braves and see they made $528 million in 2023 due to their public disclosures as part of Liberty Media. We also know that the Braves TV Deal is for $68 million a year so if you subtract that and the $200 million in revenue sharing you get $260 million in stadium, licensing, merchandise, etc… revenue. With the Twin Cities metro area roughly being 60% the size of the Braves let’s assume that the Twins can only generate 60% of the same baseball revenue ($260*60%=$156 million). The Twins are looking at $396 million in revenue based on this model and are spending only 30% on payroll.
There is no other way to look at this other than a broken promise made to taxpayers and a money grab by some Nepo-babies.
