After a heartbreaking end to the regular season that saw the Minnesota Twins fall out of the postseason picture, it looks big changes could be coming to the organization.

The Pohlad family, who have owned the Twins for the last 40 years, put out a press release on Thursday morning announcing their intent to explore selling the team, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com.

“After months of thoughtful consideration, our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins,” Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad wrote. “As we enter the next phase of this process, the time is right to make this decision public.”

“It’s our objective to find an ownership group who all of us can be proud of and who will take care of the Minnesota Twins,” Pohlad continued. “After four decades of commitment, passion, and countless memories, we are looking toward the future with care and intention–for our family, the Twins organization, and this community we love so much.”

The Pohlad’s are the third-longest tenured ownership group in Major League Baseball, trailing only the Steinbrenner family, who took control of the New York Yankees in 1973 and Jerry Reinsdorf, who bought the White Sox in 1981. During the Pohlad’s owning the Twins, they helped win two World Series in 1987 and 1991 and won nine AL Central titles in the 21st century.

This is not the only organizational change happening for the Twins, with longtime general manager Thad Levine also departing from the front office.

With the Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers all not only making the postseason, but advancing to the ALDS, the AL Central is as competitive as ever. It will take a significant investment to keep the Twins contending in what has surprisingly become one of the best divisions in baseball.

Did the Minnesota Twins’ disappointing 2024 season have anything to do with the sale?

Minnesota Twins players look on during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Target Field.
© Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

It does not appear that the Twins’ late-season collapse, where they missed the postseason after going 12-27 to end the regular season, played a role in the Pohlad family’s decision to explore selling the team. According to the announcement, they made the decision to explore selling the team over the summer when the Twins were looking like locks to make the postseason.

However, despite the relative success the Twins have found this century, it is clear that changes need to be made in order to truly become World Series contenders.