Minnesota Twins fans have had a tough 2024. Payroll slashing led to a disappointing season and the skyrocketing cost of free agents has many wondering which one of their favorite players is going to be traded in the name of “right-sizing” their business. But a new year brings a chance for reflection.
Many fans will focus on the need to pump more money into the franchise next season. Others want the Pohlad family to sell the team to an owner willing to spend. But if the Twins are to have one New Year’s resolution, it’s to start pursuing championships again.
The Minnesota Twins took a step back in 2024
The 2024 season had plenty of optimism after the Twins ended an 18-game postseason losing streak in 2023. An ad in the local papers promised that “the best was yet to come” but a report by Dan Hayes of The Athletic stating Minnesota would slash its payroll came just a few weeks later.
From there the Twins made a series of poor moves that sapped their depth for the upcoming season. Jorge Polanco was traded to the Seattle Mariners for Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa, who would go on to throw a combined 2.1 innings in 2024. Other moves such as signing reliever Jay Jackson, keeping Louie Varland as a starter and paying Kyle Farmer $6.25 million also didn’t work out.
An Opening Day injury for Royce Lewis was an ominous start and Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton eventually followed him to the injury list late in the year. But the Twins were still in control of an American League Wild Card spot until they posted an 11-27 record in their final 38 games.
The Minnesota Twins need to return their focus to winning a World Series
A collapse like last year’s usually inspires a franchise to make changes, but not in the case of the Twins. Manager Rocco Baldelli will return for next season and the team doubled down on Derek Falvey, promoting him to President of Baseball and Business Operations to replace the retiring Dave St. Peter.
While there has been good news, such as the switch to a streaming platform for their games and the Pohlad family announcing their intention to sell the team, the Twins still don’t feel like a team that’s gunning for a championship as much as a profit margin.
For a team that hasn’t won the World Series since 1991, it should be inexcusable to see Carlos Correa or Pablo López’s name in trade rumors in a division that feels wide open. The Twins should be taking a step forward and it shouldn’t take a deep-pocketed owner to do it.
Unfortunately, the Twins are not alone as small-to-mid market owners have sat on their hands while big markets like the New York Mets are shelling out $765 million for Juan Soto and other top players. It’s a situation that makes fans ponder what will happen to their young players like Royce Lewis and Walker Jenkins when they become too expensive to keep down the road.
Perhaps spending like the Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers is too much to ask. But spending like a functional franchise is a small price to pay. Instead, Twins fans are hoping for a New Year’s resolution are likely to be disappointed and it could lead to another lost year in 2025.