MLB Commish: Minnesota Twins Sale is Imminent
Down in Georgia this week, you can also find most of MLB's top executives and recognizable media members too. And no doubt, the MLB went all out this week, trying to grow the game of baseball to those who may not consider themselves fans.
They even called on Pat McAfee to host his show from Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves and the 2025 All-Star Game. McAfee, who admits he's never been a baseball fan, also MC'd the Home Run Derby introductions.
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Rob Manfred confident a Minnesota Twins sale is as good as done
All-Star week also has its own media day, which is where we found out how both Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan feel about being mentioned in recent trade rumors.
But it was actually MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's sit down on Tuesday, with the Baseball Writers Association of America, that is sure to catch the attention and imagination of MN Twins fans.
When asked about the ongoing sale of the Minnesota Twins, Manfred didn't hesitate to dive in. In fact, he pushed the conversation further than anytime since the Pohlads made it known they were selling.
The commissioner told BBWAA members that he 'knows some things [we] don't know', confidently assuring Twins fans that, with patience, a transaction will be completed.
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Not only is a sale coming down the pipeline, though. Rob was also confident that the price will be consistent with other clubs sold recently, like the Orioles and Rays, which went for ~$1.7 billion each. Conveniently enough, that happens to be the exact Pohlad asking price for the MN Twins.
'I know some things that you don't know. I can tell you with a lot of confidence that there will be a transaction there, and it will be consistent with the kind of pricing that has taken place. There will be a transaction. We just need to be patient while they rework.'
MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred – BBWAA Interview (via The Athletic)
Ishbia dropping out of the race ruined early sale timeline
According to Manfred, the Minnesota Twins sales process was slowed significantly after Justin Ishbia jumped out as the frontrunner early on, only to bail, in exchange for 35% ownership of the Chicago White Sox.
Rob suggested in his interview with the BBWAA that the baseball world is a small one. So when Ishbia was believed to be closing in on a deal with the Pohlads, other billionaires with interest moved on. Thus, when the Suns/White Sox minority owner dropped out, it was like hitting the reset button on the entire process.
'You know this is a small business, right? All those bankers that are out there, there ain't that many of them, they all talk to each other. When it becomes clear that you have a leader in the clubhouse, everybody else kind of backs away, right?
Because they kind of get a feel for price. And unless they're prepared to top, they're going to move on and do something else. So a big part of the delay in Minnesota was associated with the leader in the clubhouse made a decision to do something else.'
MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred – BBWAA Interview (via The Athletic)
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There you have it, Minnesota Twins fans. Have no fear, Rob Manfred is here… And, as the commissioner conveniently pointed out, he knows a few things. And if he says this deal is as good as done, then I actually am inclined to believe him.
At the end of the day, you cannot convince me that — even with $400 million in non-baseball debt on the books (which The Athletic confirmed is one of the highest in the league) — that the Twins are less valuable than the Tampa Bay Rays… an organization that does not even have a home stadium right now.
Now that both the Rays and Baltimore Orioles have sold for $1.7 billion-plus, I have little doubt that Twins ownership will exchange hands at approximately that same price, and that it'll happen sooner than later.
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