In the middle of July, Twins fans could still choose to see this season with glass-half-full optimism.
Sure, the Twins had underachieved relative to expectations by carrying a 47-49 mark into the All-Star break. But what if they had cme out hot after the break, and maybe added a big bat to the lineup at the trade deadline? They would be within striking distance of a wild-card spot, and maybe they could put some heat on division-leading Detroit.
And even if none of that happened, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed confidence that a sale of the Twins was getting close. Maybe a new owner would come in with a different spending philosophy than the Pohlad family.
We know, of course, what actually happened. The Twins slumped out of the break and then traded 10 MLB players (including their five best relievers). The Pohlad family in August decided to keep ownership of the team by instead adding two limited partnership groups.
Going into Tuesday’s game at Texas, the Twins’ record is 67-89, putting them at a ghastly 20-40 since the break.
The optimism glass is nearly as empty as Target Field, with the Twins finishing with their lowest non-COVID season attendance in a quarter-century.
And maybe the hardest thing to reconcile: Mid-July hope doesn’t seem silly based on what has happened since then with two other AL Central teams, something I talked about on Tuesday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
The Tigers led the AL Central handily at the break. The Twins were in second place with that 47-49 record, 11½ games back. Kansas City and Cleveland were right behind them at 12 games back.
