The Minnesota Twins closed out their 2026 season with a message Twin Cities baseball fans have waited a long time to hear. At a season wrap-up press conference Tuesday at Target Field in Minneapolis, controlling owner and executive chair Tom Pohlad said a $100 million payroll, or anything close to it, is not enough to be consistently competitive and reach the playoffs. His plan for the offseason is to invest meaningfully.
Two Goals, Both Missed
Pohlad set two goals for the 2026 Twins: play meaningful games in September and finish with a winning record. The team reached neither. The Twins stayed in the playoff race for much of the season before a collapse in August and September pushed them out of contention. They finished 77-85, third in the American League Central.
Pohlad praised the clubhouse culture, the players' buy-in, and the resilience he saw night after night. He also said plainly that the Twins are in a results-oriented business. In his view, the roster wasn't built for a 162-game season, and that left almost no margin for error.
Fan Patience at Target Field Has Run Out
Pohlad acknowledged what many Minnesota fans already feel. The Twins have not had a winning record since 2023, and weak attendance at Target Field reflects that. Payroll has been cut steadily since the 2023 playoff run, when the Twins won their first postseason games in nearly two decades. The 2025 trade deadline selloff became the clearest sign of that shift.
This year the Twins added three pitchers at the deadline and took on payroll, but it wasn't enough to reach October.
What the Twins Are Promising for 2027
Pohlad said his family is in this for the long haul. His grandfather, Carl, bought the team in 1984. The family explored a sale after the 2024 season but brought in limited partners instead. Pohlad backed general manager Jeremy Zoll and manager Derek Shelton, and said that if Zoll feels strongly about a move that improves the roster, ownership will provide the money to make it happen.
The Twins plan to be aggressive when free agency opens five days after the World Series ends. Pohlad's stated goal is a roster next spring where making the playoffs is the expectation, not a hope.
Why It Matters Around the Twin Cities
Twins games at Target Field are a summer tradition for fans across the metro, from Woodbury and Stillwater to Lake Elmo and Cottage Grove. Pohlad called this offseason another chance to put actions to words. For fans who have heard promises before, the real test comes when free agency opens. The moves the Twins make this winter will show the Twin Cities whether 2027 is a turning point or another season of waiting.
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