A feeling of hopelessness. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m referring to the moment that I realized what had put me into such a deep funk regarding my favorite Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the Minnesota Twins. The feeling was a complete lack of hope for their prospects for next summer. I have been a Twins fan since 1969, and I have seen plenty of futility on the ball diamond.

But still, I had hope. But as I scanned the latest baseball news yesterday and read about the most talented free agents and where they might be headed, it hit me. I stopped reading and thought, “There’s no use continuing this article; the Twins won’t even be in the conversation regarding these players in transit.” Now, the Twins were never a team that would break the bank in free agency. But they would surprise a fan every so often and acquire a Carlos Correa or a Sonny Gray. For the time being, those days are over.

First, Some History

My first vivid memory of a Twins down-cycle occurred in the mid-70s to mid-80s era, when the economics of modern sports had sadly passed the Griffith’s, the team’s founding family, by. Then there was the post-1991 World Championship Twins era, when owner Carl Pohlad planned first to sell, then fold the team. Only their Metrodome lease thwarted that effort.

And there have been lean years since they moved into Target Field in 2010, after they had promised the public that “if you help us build this, people will come.” The inference from this promise was that if we, the Pohlad family, receive public assistance to build this stadium, we will commit to financing a competitive, contending team for your enjoyment. Hope again, springs eternal

No Information, No Hope

It’s bad enough when a serious fan is in the dark about the team’s finances, but when the Twins’ president of baseball operations, Derek Falvey, cannot offer a ballpark team salary number, heads start scratching. The organization continues to say it wants to rebuild around its core group of players, but what does that mean?

Because when you ask Twins management if they are entertaining trade offers for pitchers Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez, or outfielder Byron Buxton, they reply, “We’ll always listen, but we would prefer to keep them.” What kind of hope does that give a fan?

We don’t know whether the team’s payroll will be below $110 million or closer to $130 million. Twins fans aren’t even sure who the heavy hitters are, who were brought in to help the team pay down their $425 million debt. I know, let’s ask team president Joe Pohlad. The only problem is that when Joe is asked about the team’s finances, he angrily grumbles something and disappears for a couple of months. There is talk locally about starting a “Where’s Waldo” style game in the Twin Cities. Only our version would be, “Where’s Joe?”

Hopelessness Bred from History

Why are Twins fans void of hope? Experience. I won’t bore you with the entire history, but the latest chapter goes something like this.

• 2023: Team makes longest playoff run since 2002.
• 2023-24 Offseason: Pohlad’s reduce team payroll by $30 million.
• 2024: Team starts out well, finishes 8-18, and squanders a playoff berth.
• 2024-2025 Offseason: Payroll is kept relatively stable. Pohlad’s put the team up for sale.
• 2025: Twins struggle, fall apart before the trade deadline. 11 players are jettisoned from the team. Manager Rocco Baldelli is fired.
• 2025-26 Offseason: Pohlad’s pull the team off the market. Ex-Pirates manager and ex-Twins coach Derek Shelton is hired as Minnesota’s next skipper.

Where are we at? Fans are unsure what to expect from the team next season, and distrust of management grows. The Twins players are kept in the dark about team finances and roster stability, causing anxiety in the clubhouse. The president of baseball operations is unsure of how much money he has to acquire players. Owners are playing duck-and-cover. What’s not to be hopeful about?

The Road Ahead

You got me. The only thing I am certain of is that the team’s payroll will be insufficient to field a competitive squad in 2026. Who loses? Ultimately, the fans. But my heart also goes out to the players who have to trudge on in this quagmire. Veterans like Ryan, Lopez, Buxton, and catcher Ryan Jeffers. And youngsters such as Luke Keaschall, Zebby Matthews, and rising star Walter Jenkins.

They may be well-compensated athletes, but the team’s direction is unclear, and job security is fragile. Not to mention, they will bear the brunt of the slings and arrows from the fan base as next season digresses almost from the start. Hope? There is no hope.