Arguably the best news from the Minnesota Twins organization this offseason?
The franchise finally went up for sale. It has been clear to most fans for some time that the Pohlad family is more interested in making money than winning baseball games. It has all been about maximizing profits.
The more vocal that some members of the family were in regards to money, the closer the team got to the open market. It finally happened this offseason, and it appears that they had all of their eggs in the Justin Ishbia basket. Now that he’s no longer in the equation, the sale process has slowed down.
You can choose to believe that other rich suitors want in, but realistically, nothing backs that up right now. Some recent chatter even hinted that Minnesota might pull the team off the market completely. Although Star Tribune columnist Lavelle E. Neal III still believes they will be sold, it sounds like it won’t be soon.
Timeline for Minnesota Twins sale lengthens
It was originally suggested that the Minnesota Twins sought a resolution for their sale by Opening Day. Unfortunately, that was when they believed Justin Ishbia was certain to buy them. At that time, there was a suggestion that it could be a quick 60-day plan. Now, LaVelle E. Neal III writes that it won’t be nearly close to that.
“The Pohlad family is in its sixth month of exploring a sale of its No. 1 asset: The Minnesota Twins. And I expect it will take as long as another six months before a new owner assumes control of the team. That’s the sense I’m getting here at spring training after speaking with several people with at least some knowledge — including some with direct knowledge — of the sale process.“
Someone clearly plugged in enough to know what’s happening suggesting another 6 months feels pretty damning. Recently, valuations for the Minnesota Twins have fallen to around $1.4 billion by Forbes. And still, the Pohlad family has been reportedly seeking something closer to $1.8 billion. There’s a pretty sizable gap between those numbers however, and without their primary suitor involved, the owners are likely no longer in the driver’s seat.
As Neal suggests, economically speaking, the league is in a good spot. That could lead the Pohlads to scoring an offer near what they want, and only time will tell.
Ishbia Interest in Twins
It’s still fair to wonder if Justin Ishbia played up his interest in the Twins just to gain an edge with the Chicago White Sox. But, Neal doesn’t believe that to be the case.
“No one I asked felt Ishbia showed interest in the Twins just to get Chicago’s attention. His due diligence — he sought out numerous local investors — seemed sincere. It has been difficult to identify other suitors because they are required to sign a nondisclosure agreement before the parties proceed.”
Regardless of what his intentions were, the reality is as we now see it. Justin Ishbia is purchasing a greater stake in the Chicago White Sox, and the Pohlad family is left twisting in the wind. The Minnesota Twins have bled fans of joy in recent years, and this is just another dagger in the back.
To say that the Pohlad family has been good stewards of their franchise would be laughable. The ownership transition cannot come soon enough, but it must go to a party that has a sincere level of investment. It might be even more painful for fans to see the team handed over to another group unwilling to spend.
Right now, the current owners aren’t seeing enough dollars being offered, and perspective buyers aren’t making sense in providing them.
The Twins will be playing meaningful baseball games in just two weeks. With this news, they don’t appear any closer to finding a better situation from the top down.
