The Twins’ problems in the past several years, both on and off the field, are many. But the sum total boils down to this: They were unwilling at multiple points to come to terms with their reality.
As a result, they sent confusing mixed messages to fans (and quite possibly themselves) about who they were. They have paid the price the past two years, and things might get even worse before they get better.
But at least they have one thing going for them now: Tom Pohlad, the new controlling owner from the Pohlad family installed in December, at the very least seems to be the best communicator they have had at the top of the food chain in quite some time.
I had a chance to chat with Pohlad recently, and I shared that interview — plus extended reaction and impressions of Pohlad from Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins — on Tuesday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
Here are some of the takeaways from what was said and what I believe to be true to start today’s 10 things to know:
- Given the financial reality of COVID, which cost the Twins what would have been a huge attendance season in 2020 coming off the 101-win Bomba Squad season (and limited them again in 2021) and the death spiral of local TV revenue, the most irresponsible thing the Twins did in the past five years was signing Carlos Correa to a six-year, $200 million contract before the 2023 season. Yes, he was a key reason the Twins finally won a playoff series. But his contract was never going to be sustainable. It only served to infuriate fans when, less than a year later, Joe Pohlad (the previous third-generation Pohlad in charge) talked openly of right-sizing the business while slashing payroll.
- Tom Pohlad addressed that in a group interview on Friday, Jan. 23: “Hindsight being 20/20, Correa and one person can’t get the job done. One person can’t be a difference-maker, particularly at the payroll and market that we are in. If you are going to go all-in, you have to go all-in. You have to do a Correa and you have to build pieces around that, which truly put you in a position to compete for a world championship.” Translation: Either you’re in or you’re out. Mixed messages are not only confusing, they’re damaging.
- Scoggins had a great point when he said on the podcast that if Tom Pohlad had a different last name, people would probably be thinking, “You know what, this guy is pretty sharp.” In my conversation with Pohlad, I asked him how he can help restore confidence in a family name that has negative connotations with fans. He said: “First, it’s communication. But at the end of the day talk is cheap, as you know. We’ve got to deliver. And if we don’t deliver, we’ve got to hold the organization and ourselves accountable to that end.”
- I also asked if he was tempted to slash payroll even more than the current level, which is around $107 million and would be their lowest since 2017. He said: “I wouldn’t say temptation, but I mean, did it enter the calculus? Of course it did. ... When I think about the talent that we have that we frankly got in return at the trade deadline, the best thing we can do for that young group of talent, and frankly, the best thing we can do to build a business that can support for future investment in the field is to have a competitive 2026 season.”
- My take: The Twins’ 2026 plan seems smart. This is not a year to go all-in given baseball’s labor uncertainty and the Twins’ perilous financial standing. This is a year to regroup and not spend big, especially if throwing cash onto a fire will only lead to another payroll cut later. What the Twins need more than anything is a sustainable long-term plan. Whether Pohlad can deliver that, of course, remains to be seen.
- The Vikings reportedly will lose defensive assistant Daronte Jones to the Commanders, who are making him their new defensive coordinator.
- The doomsday scenario of losing both Brian Flores and Jones continues to dwindle, with the Steelers (Mike McCarthy) and Ravens (Jesse Minter) both going in a different direction than Flores with their head coaching hires.
- Former Vikings offensive assistant Grant Udinski, who just turned 30, was an emerging candidate to be the Bills head coach before they reportedly hired Joe Brady on Tuesday. Udinski got a lot of credit for Sam Darnold’s success with the Vikings in 2024 and helped revive Trevor Lawrence’s career as Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator in 2025.
- Peacock might want its money back after holding the rights to Monday’s 108-83 Wolves victory over Golden State. Anthony Edwards didn’t play for the Wolves, nor did Steph Curry or Draymond Green for the Warriors. The win ended a five-game Wolves losing streak, but big questions remain for the team.
- I’ll dive into some of those questions as well as the fallout from the Wolves raising season ticket prices during Wednesday’s podcast with the Star Tribune’s Chris Hine.
