The Pohlad family wants to bring the Twins franchise to market

The Pohlad family has publicly announced that they are attempting to sell the Minnesota Twins after owning the franchise for 40 years.

According to an announcement Thursday, the family decided to begin exploring a sale last summer and has now decided to make their decision public as the “next phase of that process.”

“We truly respect and appreciate what the Twins mean to Minneapolis, St. Paul, the great state of Minnesota and the entire region,” Twins Executive Chairman Joe Pohlad said in a statement. “Our goal is to be as informative as possible with the team, the staff and you, the fans. You deserve this because in many ways this team doesn't belong to one family – it belongs to all of you. Our goal is to find an ownership group that we can all be proud of and that cares about the Minnesota Twins.”

The announcement comes after a disappointing 2024 season for the Twins, due in part to the front office's decision not to add payroll after the team's deepest postseason success in over 20 years. No significant moves were made at the trade deadline, and a collapse in the home stretch knocked Minnesota out of playoff contention.

A Brief History of the Pohlad Era

Carl Pohlad, who made his fortune in the banking industry, purchased the Minnesota Twins in 1984 for $43.5 million – $81.3 million today – from Calvin Griffith and quickly ensured the team won two championships in 1987 and 1991 won. Despite nine division titles and another wild card appearance, the team has not returned to the World Series since.

In 2001, Carl Pohlad attempted to sell the Twins to MLB owners for $150 million as part of a plan to subcontract the league through two teams – the Montreal Expos were the other franchise on the chopping block. However, a judge kept the team in town by ordering them to maintain their lease and play the 2002 season at the Metrodome.

After Carl Pohlad's death in 2009, the team was passed on to his three sons, Jim, Bill and Bob. While the Pohlad family as a whole retained ownership, Jim Pohlad took over management of the franchise and turned the trains over to his nephew Joe Pohlad later in 2022.

In 2010, the Twins moved from the Metrodome to Target Field, the team's open-air baseball palace in Minneapolis' North Loop. According to Forbes, the organization is now worth nearly $1.5 billion.

This is a developing story. Stay with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS as we work to bring you the latest updates.