Twins Owner Tom Pohlad Talks Payroll, Pitching Pursuits, and Belief in 2026 Roster
FORT MYERS, Fla. - As the Minnesota Twins ramp up spring training, principal owner Tom Pohlad is stepping into his first full season at the helm with a clear message: don’t confuse a quiet offseason with a lack of ambition.
Pohlad, who officially took over as principal owner in early December, acknowledged that the timing of his transition played a role in the club's decision-making this winter - including a payroll that’s shaping up to be the team’s lowest in nearly a decade. But that doesn’t mean the front office was sitting on its hands.
In the past week alone, the Twins have been active in the bullpen market, adding a handful of arms on minor league deals: Liam Hendriks, Andrew Chafin, Julian Merryweather, and Cody Laweryson. They also swung a trade with the Dodgers to bring in lefty Anthony Banda. It’s a flurry of moves aimed at reinforcing a relief corps that will be key to their success in a competitive AL Central.
And it wasn’t for lack of trying that the Twins didn’t make a bigger splash.
According to Pohlad, Minnesota made a late push for free-agent starter Framber Valdez - arguably the biggest name still on the board at the time. The Twins offered a multiyear deal, but Valdez ultimately landed a three-year, $115 million contract with the division-rival Detroit Tigers.
“He was the best pitcher on the market at that point,” Pohlad said. “We would’ve had a hell of a 1-2-3 punch [in the rotation], and it would be crazy not to look at that.”
That trio would’ve added serious bite to the Twins’ rotation, and Pohlad made it clear he was willing to greenlight the move if the front office believed it was the right fit.
“It would’ve been fun to make a splash and show the organization and the fans that we’re committed,” he added. “I do know that payroll matters to people.
I mean, it wasn’t just about adding to the payroll. It was a decision that [General Manager Jeremy Zoll] thought was in the best interest of the team, and if he thought that, then I was going to be willing to go there for us.”
That balance - between financial responsibility and competitive urgency - is something Pohlad is still navigating. But make no mistake: he’s not coming in to play it safe.
“I want to be aggressive,” Pohlad said. “That’s my personality.
But there is only so much we can do given the timing that we were in. We tried to be aggressive on some things.
Those things didn’t work out, and here we are. But I also don’t want something to get lost in translation here: We really like our team.”
That last part is important. While the offseason didn’t bring a headline-grabbing addition, Pohlad remains bullish on the roster as it stands - a blend of established veterans and younger players hungry to prove themselves. It’s a mix the Twins believe can outperform expectations, even as oddsmakers peg their projected win total at a modest 73.5.
“That’s ridiculous,” Pohlad said when told of the projection.
The confidence isn’t just lip service. Pohlad addressed the team ahead of its first full-squad workout on Monday, delivering a short speech that emphasized his desire to be present and engaged - not just as an executive, but as someone players can talk to.
It’s a new chapter for the Twins, with a new voice leading the charge. While the payroll might not turn heads this spring, the message from the top is clear: this team isn’t backing down from the fight.