The Minnesota Twins are sitting at 46-48, two games out of first place in the AL Central and barely hanging onto the final Wild Card spot. On paper, that’s not a lost season. But walk into Target Field on any given night and you wouldn’t know it. The Twins rank 25th in MLB attendance, averaging fewer than 21,000 fans per game this season. That’s not great for a team that’s theoretically still in the race.
Tom Pohlad, who took over as controlling owner last December, acknowledged the disconnect. He told Dan Hayes of The Athletic that the team has to earn its fans back through action, not promises.
“This is a build and they will come situation,” Pohlad said. “The fans are not going to come back based on words. They’re going to come back once they see investment in the team and success on the field.”
Fair enough. But here’s the thing: the Pohlad name has taken a beating in Minnesota. Fans remember the payroll slashing. They remember the ’23 trade deadline when the Twins essentially stood still while their division rivals got better. They remember a franchise that talks about winning but treats its payroll like a limit, not a floor.
Right now the Twins are sitting around $100 million in payroll, bottom third of the league. And sure, the Rays and Guardians have done more with less. But this Twins roster has holes. Big ones. The bullpen looks like a construction site missing the permits. It might be the worst relief unit in baseball. Tommy Nance isn’t going to fix that.
Pohlad is essentially daring fans to trust him. But trust isn’t a one-way street. If he wants butts in seats, the Twins need to show up at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. That means general manager Jeremy Zoll getting aggressive. That means spending real money on arms that can close a game without making everyone hold their breath.
Pohlad’s been in charge less than a year. He’s got time. But the fans have been patient for a long time. Words won’t fill those empty seats. Only moves will. And August 3 is coming fast.
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