Joe Pohlad confirms Twins won't spend money to try and win a World Series

A whole new generation of fans got to fall in love with the Minnesota Twins last year. They're also being introduced to the frustration of watching ownership pinch pennies and be satisfied with the most basic level of success.

Twins fans had to live through that in the early 2000s, when there was more pride in how little money was being spent than how many games were being won. Minnesota consistently made the playoffs but were routinely bounced by teams willing to meaningfully add to its roster.

History seems to be repeating itself, as the Twins chased its most successful season since the dawn of those 2000s teams by slashing its payroll and refusing to spend money to build out the roster. The only moves that were made saw players exit stage left, from Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda to Jorge Polanco.

Fans have long been frustrated with the extreme frugalness of the Pohlad family, and that was never more present than this winter. To their credit, the Pohlad's aren't trying to hide the fact that thriving on the cheapest payroll possible is their goal.

Twins ownership confirms it won't spend money to win a World Series

Joe Pohlad went on WCCO Radio this week and confirmed that MInnesota's goal is to win as many games while spending the least amount of money possible. He invoked the Orioles and Rays as standards the Twins hold themselves to.

"I think in today's game you can see there are a number of different ways to win," Pohlad said. "You see that both with the Tampa Bay Rays and with the Baltimore Orioles having lower payrolls, turning out very successful products on the field but also investing in other areas of the business. That is something that we are doing. But without a question the television situation is having an impact on our business but beyond that we're just trying to right-size our business. That goes into it as well."

If you're counting, that was three mentions of 'business' while explaining why the team is once again getting cheap at a time others take advantage of momentum.

Pohlad at least tried to soften the blow by noting that the team might spend if the situation is right, but another deal like the one Carlos Correa got is out of the question.

"What I will say about some flexibility is, when Derek [Falvey] and his team think there is the right opportunity in front of us, we don't live hard and fast by a specific number," Pohlad said. "That said, we're not going to spend $30 million on a player right now."

Pohlad's explanation is frustrating, laughable, but not at all surprising. Twins fans have been down this road before, and it's beyond clear that the team is viewed as a business first and foremost.

Nothing made this more clear than the team choosing money over its own fans with the new TV deal for this season. The Pohlad's had the chance to find a way to make watching games more accessible -- something Dave St. Peter claimed was a goal -- yet decided to take a deal that limits viewing reach. To the shock of absolutely no one, the deal was worth more money and none of it was put back into the team.

Taking a worse deal for more money would have been tolerable if it meant investing in the team. Instead, through that deal and these comments, a new generation of Pohlad ownership is reminding a new generation of Twins fans that they pride their bank account over their trophy case.

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