Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract
Alex Bregman will be opting out of his contract with the Red Sox, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He has two years and $80MM remaining on his deal, although some of that money is deferred.
Bregman, 31, is coming off a strong season in which he batted .273/.360/.462 with a 125 wRC+ in 114 games for Boston. After posting an uncharacteristically low 6.7% walk rate in 2024, he rebounded to 10.3% in 2025, while his strikeout rate increased only modestly to a still-excellent 14.1%. His batted ball metrics back up his performance, with his 90.1 mph average exit velocity and 44.4% hard-hit rate both representing career highs. Despite missing seven weeks in the first half of the season with a right quad injury, Bregman was worth 3.5 fWAR this year, ranking seventh among major league third basemen with a minimum of 400 plate appearances.
Defensively, Bregman graded out as above average, if a step down from his 2024 season. In 972 1/3 innings at third base, he was worth one Defensive Run Saved and three Outs Above Average in 2025, with Statcast valuing his range in the 83rd percentile. For comparison, he was worth 6 DRS and 8 OAA with the Astros last year. Defensive metrics are notoriously tricky, of course, but it appears Bregman remains a defensive asset as he continues into his 30s.
By opting out, Bregman is forgoing two years at a $40MM AAV. That figure is somewhat misleading, though, as $60MM of the $120MM total is deferred through 2035-46, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press, which lowers the contract’s AAV significantly. In any case, Bregman will undoubtedly look to top that guarantee in his second straight trip to the free agent market. Prior to this year’s quad injury, he had three consecutive seasons of good health from 2022-24 and is a reasonable bet to stay healthy moving forward.
Under the terms of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the owners and the MLB Players Association, Bregman is ineligible to receive a qualifying offer after receiving one from the Astros last offseason. A prospective team will not need to forfeit draft pick compensation to sign Bregman this time around. A look at our 2025-26 MLB Free Agents list shows Bregman as the clear headliner at third base, with Eugenio Suarez representing the next-best option. Suarez, 34, hit 49 home runs this season and matched Bregman’s 125 wRC+, but he’s three years older and an inferior defender.
Given the state of the market, his ineligibility for another qualifying offer, and his strong platform season, Bregman will likely be seeking a long-term contract this offseason. He reportedly sought a $200MM contract early last winter. He declined an early six-year, $156MM offer from the Astros and eventually turned down a six-year, $171.5MM proposal from Detroit late in the offseason. Heyman writes today that Bregman had countered with an offer in the $180MM range before taking the shorter deal with Boston at a much higher annual rate.
A reunion with the Red Sox is certainly possible, with the team having traded Rafael Devers to the Giants this past June. The team did not exceed the luxury tax threshold in 2024, although they appear on track to exceed this year’s $241MM threshold by several million, according to RosterResource. The team will see Steven Matz‘s $12.5MM salary come off the books this offseason. They might also decline their end of Lucas Giolito‘s $19MM mutual option depending on the severity of his recent elbow issue. Liam Hendriks underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery in September and will likely see his $12MM mutual option declined.
If the team runs a similar payroll in 2026 following this year’s postseason appearance, the club might make a run at re-signing Bregman. The Tigers and Cubs were both in on Bregman last winter and might be have some interest in him as well. The Cubs were reportedly only interested in Bregman on a short-term deal, though, and their incumbent third baseman, Matt Shaw, showed promise in his debut this year. In contrast, Tigers third basemen ranked 26th in the majors this year with a 76 wRC+ and would benefit substantially from a player of Bregman’s caliber. If Bregman departs Boston, the Red Sox could hand the reins to Marcelo Mayer or make a play for Suarez in free agency.
Yankees Part Ways With Coaches Mike Harkey, Travis Chapman
The Yankees are making changes to their coaching staff. Bullpen coach Mike Harkey as well as first base and infield coach Travis Chapman will not be returning to the club in 2026, per Andy Martino of SNY.
Harkey, 58, has served two separate stints as the team’s bullpen coach. His first stint was from 2008-13, which included the World Series winning 2009 season. After spending 2014-15 as the pitching coach for the Diamondbacks, he returned as the Yankees’ bullpen coach in 2016 and had been in that role ever since, until today’s news. The club has generally churned out a strong relief corps in those ten seasons. Since the start of 2016, Yankees relievers have posted a 3.63 ERA which ranks third-best among all major league teams. They are tied for third-best with a 16.7% K-BB rate in that time and have been worth a combined 56.3 fWAR, which is second only to the Dodgers.
This year, however, the Bronx bullpen did not perform up to its usual standards. Yankees relievers ranked 23rd in the league with a 4.37 ERA. While they struck out plenty of hitters, tying the Guardians bullpen for fifth-best with a 24.9% strikeout rate, they also walked 9.7% of hitters, which was ninth-worst. Key offseason acquisition Devin Williams posted a 4.79 ERA in 62 innings, although his 3.07 xERA and 2.68 FIP are much more favorable. Luke Weaver also underperformed relative to 2024, and while David Bednar proved invaluable following his acquisition at the trade deadline, fellow relievers Camilo Doval and Jake Bird were not as successful, with Bird almost immediately being optioned to the minors.
Obviously, responsibility for the bullpen’s performance is not Harkey’s alone. Underperformance in 2025 aside, Harkey has been a steady presence on the team’s staff for the past decade and now departs the organization with 19 years of coaching experience on his resume.
Chapman, 47, began his coaching career in New York’s farm system before being promoted to the major league staff following the 2021 season. Since the start of 2022, the club’s defense on the left side of the infield has generally been solid. With solid performances at the hot corner from the likes of DJ LeMahieu, Josh Donaldson, Oswaldo Cabrera, and now Ryan McMahon, Yankees third basemen have combined for 35 Defensive Runs Saved and 33 Outs Above Average in that time. Shortstop has also been a defensive strength, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Anthony Volpe leading the team to a combined 35 DRS (4th in the majors) and 8 OAA (14th) at that spot. First and second base have been more serviceable than excellent, being valued at 0 DRS and -6 DRS respectively.
This year, the infield defense was not quite as strong. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was worth 8 OAA at second base, but he was also forced to spend time at third base in the first half and was a negative there, which partly necessitated the trade for McMahon. Notably, Anthony Volpe regressed mightily at shortstop, as he was valued at -7 OAA after being lauded for his defense from 2023-24. As with Harkey, Chapman is not entirely to blame for the infield’s regression. Nonetheless, it appears the Yankees are moving on in hopes of improving their infield defense in 2026.
Other coaching changes are on the horizon as well. Per Martino, hitting coordinator Jake Hirst is being promoted to the major league staff. Assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler will not return in that role, although the team is discussing other potential roles with him. Meanwhile, hitting coach James Rowson is reportedly set to interview for the Twins’ managerial vacancy. In any case, the Yankees will look to have a capable staff in place under manager Aaron Boone in hopes of making a deeper postseason run in 2026 following their ALDS loss to the Blue Jays.
Mike Shildt Steps Down As Padres Manager
In a surprising move, Padres manager Mike Shildt has announced he is stepping down from that role, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego-Union Tribune. The decision was Shildt’s, Acee adds. He has managed the club for two years and had two years remaining on his contract.
“The grind of the baseball season has taken a severe toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally,” Shildt wrote in a letter to the Union-Tribune. “While it has always been about serving others, it’s time I take care of myself and exit on my own terms.” He went on to thank the Padres organization, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, and the players for his time with the team and wished them future success. In a statement released by the team, Preller said of Shildt, “His dedication and passion for the game of baseball will leave an impact on our organization, and we wish him the best in his next chapter.”
Shildt, 57, has led the Padres to a 183-141 (.565) record since the start of 2024. The club made the postseason in both of those years, reaching the National League Division Series in 2024 and the Wild Card Series this year. In that time, the team has gotten strong performances out of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jake Cronenworth among others, while also seeing the emergence of Jackson Merrill. The club is tied for seventh-best in the league with a 107 wRC+ in that time. Pitching-wise, the team ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.75 ERA and seventh with a 15.7% K-BB rate since the start of 2024. That success includes strong performances from starters Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Nick Pivetta, along with relievers Adrian Morejon and Robert Suarez. If not for the perennially excellent Dodgers, the Padres may have had a shot at first place in the NL West in those two years. Even then, it is hard to consider Shildt’s tenure with San Diego as anything other than a success.
Prior to managing the Padres, Shildt held various roles in the Cardinals organization, acting as quality control coach and third base coach in 2017 and bench coach in 2018. He was named the interim manager upon the firing of Mike Matheny in July 2018 and became the permanent manager in August of that year. He held that post through the 2021 season before departing the organization due to what were described at the time as “philosophical differences.” Shildt was hired by San Diego in a player development role in January 2022 and became the manager in November 2023 following Bob Melvin’s departure for the Giants. In all, he has posted a 435-340 (.561) record in parts of six seasons as a big-league manager and has twice finished in the top two for the NL Manager of the Year Award, winning it in 2019 with the Cardinals and finishing as the runner-up last year with the Padres.
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Shildt is not necessarily retiring from baseball altogether. Rather, he is simply not looking to continue managing in the immediate future. When asked about the possibility, Shildt said, “Not at the moment. I need a break and take care of myself.” That’s not a definitive declaration that he’ll return to the dugout at some point, but Shildt left the door open for potential future opportunities. A return under those conditions would hardly be unprecedented; we’ve recently seen both Bruce Bochy and Terry Francona return to big league dugouts at older ages than Shildt.
With the Padres now looking for a new skipper, a staggering 10 out of 30 teams will enter 2026 with a different manager than the one with which they opened the 2025 season. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller thanked Shildt for his “significant contributions to the Padres and the San Diego community over the last four years” in a press release this morning and added that the search for a new manager will begin immediately.
Chris Owings Announces Retirement
Infielder Chris Owings announced his retirement on his Instagram page last week. He last played in affiliated ball in the Dodgers organization in 2024. Now, it appears the 11-year big-league veteran will hang up his spikes at the age of 34. “This game has given me more than I could’ve ever imagined,” said Owings, who went on to thank his family, coaches, and the various organizations of which he had been a part during his career.
Owings was drafted in the first round by the Diamondbacks in 2009, making his major-league debut four years later. He would spend six seasons with Arizona, playing a total of 575 games out in the desert and batting .250/.291/.378 with a 73 wRC+. During that time, he maxed out at 552 plate appearances in 147 games in 2015. The following year, he led the majors in triples (11) while batting .277/.315/.416 in 119 games and splitting time between shortstop and center field. After leaving the Diamondbacks following the 2018 season, he went on to spend brief major-league stints with the Royals, Red Sox, Rockies, Orioles, and Pirates, often acting as a utility player. His last big-league appearances came in 2023 with Pittsburgh. He signed a minor league pact with the Dodgers in February 2024 and played in 80 games at the Triple-A level before being released in July of that year.
In all, Owings played in 723 games and earned just over $11MM in his career. He batted .239/.286/.364 with 550 hits, 37 home runs, 220 RBI, and 79 stolen bases. He was also a serviceable defender, grading out as below-average in 2,105 1/3 innings at shortstop (-11 career DRS) but above average in 1,647 2/3 innings at the keystone (9 DRS). We at MLBTR congratulate Owings on a solid career and wish him the best in retirement.
Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
Paul Goldschmidt Plans To Play In 2026
Paul Goldschmidt is not ready to hang up his spikes yet. In speaking to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the first baseman simply stated, “I love playing,” indicating that he intends to return for what would be his 16th major league season in 2026.
Goldschmidt, who turned 38 in September, is a seven-time All Star and one of the best first basemen of his generation. He has batted .288/.378/.504 in his career, good for a 137 wRC+ and a 63.8 bWAR which ranks seventh among all active players. His 372 home runs and 1,232 RBI rank third and second among active hitters, respectively. Goldschmidt shined in his eight years with the Diamondbacks before being traded to the Cardinals prior to the 2019 season. He continued to perform well in St. Louis, winning the NL MVP Award in 2022 after posting a .317/.404/578 batting line with 35 home runs and 115 RBI in 151 games in his age-34 season.
His offensive numbers have declined since then. After posting a 175 wRC+ in his MVP season, that number fell to 122 in 2023 and 100 in 2024 – essentially league average. The Cardinals did not re-sign him in free agency, and he ultimately landed with the Yankees on a one-year, $12.5MM pact. In 534 plate appearances spanning 146 games, Goldschmidt batted .274/.328/.403 and again graded out as league average with a 103 wRC+. Interestingly, after seeing his power numbers decline in his last two years with the Cardinals, Goldschmidt adopted a more contact-heavy approach at the plate in 2025. He cut his strikeout rate from 26.5% to 18.7% and made contact on 86.0% of pitches in the strike zone, up from 79.8% in 2024.
This new approach led to some initial success, as Goldschmidt batted .338 in 232 plate appearances through the end of May and posting a 148 wRC+. However, he then hit just .143 in 94 plate appearances in June. While he recovered to hit .261 from July through the end of the year, that was good for just an 87 wRC+. As the year went on, Goldschmidt ceded more playing time to Ben Rice, and he ultimately started just two of his six games played in the postseason before the Yankees were eliminated by the Blue Jays. All told, Goldschmidt was worth a career-low 0.8 fWAR in 2025.
His offensive decline notwithstanding, Goldschmidt’s defense this year was serviceable. In 1,029 innings at first base, he was valued at -1 Defensive Runs Saved, tied for ninth among qualified first basemen, as well as -3 Outs Above Average, which ranked 13th. Statcast viewed his contributions more negatively, giving him a 33rd-percentile Fielding Run Value. Defensive metrics are notoriously tricky, of course, and indeed, the numbers on Goldschmidt have fluctuated throughout his career. At the very least, he provided a stable presence for the Yankees at the cold corner after witnessing Anthony Rizzo‘s concussion- and age-related decline in the prior two seasons.
In all, Goldschmidt projects to have a tougher time on the market than he did last offseason. His age will limit him to another one-year deal, and it is questionable whether teams will continue to view him as a starter given his now middling offense. First basemen tend to be strong hitters, and in 2025, they posted a collective 109 wRC+, whereas Goldschmidt was valued at 103 wRC+. His increased contact might offer some optimism, but it is also likely that he is simply declining due to age. However, he could find success in a platoon role. In 168 plate appearances against southpaws this year, Goldschmidt batted .336/.411/.570 with a strikeout rate of just 11.3%, good for a 169 wRC+. If a team could minimize his exposure to same-handed pitchers, he might see more sustained success over the course of a season.
As it stands, the free agent class of first basemen is headlined by Pete Alonso and Josh Naylor, with names like Ryan O’Hearn, Luis Arraez, and Josh Bell making up the second tier. Alonso is the best option on offense, while O’Hearn is arguably the best defender of the bunch, as he was valued at 4 DRS and 6 OAA as a first baseman during the regular season. Goldschmidt would represent a solid platoon bat and a serviceable defender for those who miss out on Alonso and Naylor, so he might command a one-year deal with a lower guarantee than his deal with the Yankees.
Tanner Scott Removed From Dodgers’ NLDS Roster
Lefty reliever Tanner Scott has been removed from the Dodgers’ NLDS active roster, MLB announced today. As a result, he will be ineligible for the NLCS should the Dodgers advance. Fellow lefty Justin Wrobleski will take Scott’s place on the roster for the remainder of the series against the Phillies.
Manager Dave Roberts told Sonja Chen of MLB.com that Scott had a lower body abscess excision after noticing something during a team workout. “Some type of lower body, minor procedure,” Roberts said (link via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register), “But I do know that he’s recovering well.” The team was unsure of the severity of his injury and accordingly made no roster move before yesterday’s game against the Phillies. Scott did not pitch in that game, which the Dodgers lost 8-2. It was originally reported that Scott was away from the team due to a personal matter, though this update from Roberts indicates that the injury also factored into his absence.
Scott, 30, signed a four-year, $72MM deal with the Dodgers after a dominant 2024 season in which he pitched to a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings between the Marlins and Padres. While his 12.2% walk rate was high and a significant increase over his 2023 numbers (7.8%), Scott posted a well above-average 28.6% strikeout rate along with a 99th percentile hard-hit rate. Much of that success was due to his four-seam fastball. The pitch averaged 97.0 mph in 2024, with opposing hitters slashing just .134 and slugging just .179 against the pitch.
Unfortunately, his first year with the Dodgers has not gone as hoped. While his walk rate has improved to 7.6% and his strikeout rate is still above average at 25.2%, hitters now feasted on his fastball to the tune of a .520 slugging percentage. His hard-hit rate on the fastball has also increased to 46.9% after sitting at just 28.9% last year. The result was a 4.74 ERA and a career-high 11 home runs allowed in 57 innings during the regular season, with his advanced metrics, including a 4.25 xERA and a 4.70 FIP, largely supporting that performance.
All the same, given his success last year and his still above average velocity, the Dodgers would love to have Scott back as a leverage option for their postseason run. If his recovery continues to go well, he might be activated for the World Series roster, should the team advance that far. The Dodgers are currently up two games to one in the NLDS, with Tyler Glasnow set to start Game 4 tonight opposite the Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez. They would need to win this series and then dispatch either the Brewers or the Cubs in the best-of-seven NLCS for Scott to be eligible to rejoin the roster.
Picollo: “Safe To Say” Salvador Perez Will Return To Royals In 2026
The Royals expect to retain longtime catcher and team captain Salvador Perez for the 2026 season. “I think it’s safe to say that one way or another, Salvy will be in a Royals uniform in ‘26,” general manager J.J. Picollo told reporters (including Jaylon Thompson of The Kansas City Star). “What we do beyond that is still to be determined. But there are some things that we still need to work through and talk about.”
The simplest path would be for the team to exercise their $13.5MM option for next season. Picollo didn’t commit to that course of action, leaving open the possibility of reworking the deal as part of an extension. Speculatively, they could try to hammer out a new contract that lowers next season’s salary while locking in some guaranteed money for Perez during his age-37 campaign in 2027. Picollo said the sides have “already started those discussions” about potentially reworking the deal (link via The Associated Press).
Perez, 35, has played all 15 of his big-league seasons with Kansas City and is a franchise icon. He currently ranks 7th in franchise history in games played with 1,707, 6th in hits with 1,712, 2nd in home runs with 303, and 2nd in RBI with 1,016. Altogether, he has been worth 35.5 bWAR in his career, good for 4th in Royals history among position players behind George Brett, Amos Otis, and Willie Wilson. He has been named an All-Star nine times while winning five Gold Gloves and finishing 7th in AL MVP voting in 2021 on the back of a 48-homer campaign.
His 2025 offensive numbers were largely in line with his career output. In 155 games, Perez batted .236/.284/.446 with 30 home runs and 100 RBI. His walk rate of 4.4% was slightly lower than last year’s 6.7% mark, while his strikeout rate of 19.5% was roughly the same. His 95 wRC+ was close to average overall but above average for his position, placing 7th among qualified catchers between William Contreras and J.T. Realmuto. All told, his offensive contributions were valued at 1.6 bWAR.
His defensive numbers were a different story. Continuing a trend from recent seasons, Perez split time behind the plate and at first base in 2025. In 92 games behind the plate, he was valued at -15 DRS, which ranked last among catchers with at least 500 innings at the position (Perez played 761 2/3 innings there). Statcast still thinks highly of Perez’s pop time, which ranks in the 68th percentile, but his arm strength and framing rank in the 2nd and 15th percentiles, respectively. He graded at -3 DRS and committed one error in 30 games at first base.
Defensive woes aside, Perez is widely valued in the Royals clubhouse for his veteran presence and leadership. He is the last remaining active player from the 2015 club that won the World Series (in which he was the Series MVP), and he was named team captain in 2023. He also works well as a mentor to the team’s young pitchers and catchers, including Carter Jensen, who rates as the Royals’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 66 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com.
Jensen made his big-league debut in 2025 and will compete for a roster spot next year, which may allow Perez to spend more time at first base and DH. Kansas City traded away longtime backup Freddy Fermin at the deadline. Luke Maile is an impending free agent, which will leave Perez (assuming some kind of contract is worked out) and Jensen as the only two catchers on the 40-man roster going into the offseason.
Whether they simply pick up his club option or sign him to a new deal, the Royals are making sure their franchise player stays on as an elder statesman for an upstart roster looking to compete in 2026. The club finished with an 82-80 record in 2025, good for 3rd place in the AL Central. Their team ERA of 3.76 ranked 6th in the majors thanks to strong seasons from Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, and Noah Cameron. Ace Cole Ragans missed time due to injury but will return in 2026 with a full offseason to rest and get back into form. On the offensive side, Kansas City ranked 22nd in the league with a team wRC+ of 93, although they have two highly valuable players in Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia to build around. If they can find some complementary pieces around those two and Perez while maintaining their pitching strength, the club may be a dark horse candidate to win the AL Central next year.
Pirates Make Changes To Coaching Staff
The Pirates are making several changes to their coaching staff. Pitching coach Oscar Marin will not have his contract renewed, as first reported by Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Assistant pitching coach Brent Strom and third-base coach Mike Rabelo will also not be returning, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
It was earlier reported that GM Ben Cherington and manager Don Kelly would remain in their current roles. Cherington has been in charge of the front office since November 2019, while Kelly had served as interim manager since taking over for Derek Shelton in May. Kelly had noted on Monday that he and Cherington would meet to discuss the possibility of coaching changes. It appears the staff will indeed see some turnover as the Pirates look to improve in 2026 following a 71-91 season which saw them finish last in the NL Central.
Marin, 42, is perhaps the most notable of the changes. He had been serving as the Pirates’ pitching coach since December 2019, shortly after Cherington took over the front office. In that time, the team improved from a 5.08 ERA in 2021 (16% below average by ERA+) to a 3.76 ERA this year (14% above average). The starting rotation, in particular, benefited from a dominant sophomore effort by Paul Skenes, while the bullpen was anchored by Dennis Santana and David Bednar, before the latter’s trade to the Yankees.
The pitching outlook for next year is promising. As it stands, Skenes will be joined by Mitch Keller (barring an offseason trade) at the front of the rotation, while Bubba Chandler and Mike Burrows should be in the mix for season-opening spots. Jared Jones is recovering from UCL surgery but could be back within the first couple months. All three pitchers are controlled through at least 2028. Santana could return as the team’s closer in 2026, though he’s an impending free agent who could be in trade rumors himself. Braxton Ashcraft and Justin Lawrence also performed well out of the ‘pen in 2025 and remain under team control for several years, although Ashcraft may be in contention for a rotation spot himself.
Strom, 76, has been the assistant pitching coach for just under a year, having been hired in November 2024. He had previously served as the pitching coach for the Astros from 2014-21, followed by a stint with the Diamondbacks for the 2022-24 seasons. He is known among players for blending an old-school mentality with an appreciation for analytics. While there were initial reports that Strom was contemplating retirement, the longtime coach tells Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that he does not intend to retire and is open to offers from other teams. Strom told Rosenthal that he made the decision to leave the Pirates and informed the club of that call six weeks ago.
Rabelo, 45, was originally hired by the Pirates as an assistant hitting coach in 2020 before becoming their major league field coordinator in January 2021. He has served as the third-base coach since the 2022 season and has also acted as a bench coach since Kelly’s elevation to the manager post in May. This year, Pirates baserunners tied for last in the majors in extra bases taken on hits with 103.
Heading into the offseason, the club appears to be making these changes with the hope of building on their pitching core and making marginal improvements on offense. The Pirates are expected to carry a bottom-tier payroll once again, although they only have $31MM on the books in the contracts for Keller and Bryan Reynolds and might look to make marginal upgrades through one-year deals for free agents. If the team can add additional offensive pieces to complement Reynolds, Spencer Horwitz, and Oneil Cruz while the pitchers take another step forward, the club may look to finish at .500 in 2026.
Pohlads Discuss Previous Sale Exploration, Club Finances
The Pohlad family decided to maintain its controlling stake in the Minnesota Twins when new investors emerged and gave the club a chance to pay down a significant amount of the team’s $500MM debt. That’s according to two members of the Pohlad family, executive chair Joe Pohlad and his brother Tom, who spoke to Bill Lukitsch of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“That was really the driver,” Joe said, then revealing the $500MM number. Previous reporting had mentioned a debt of around $400MM or $425MM but it seems it was actually notable higher than those numbers.
The exact identities of the minority investors are currently unknown, as the Pohlads have not disclosed details, pending approval of the partnership by the league. The piece does mention that the investors are from Minnesota and the East Coast, though little is known beyond that. Once approved, Lukitsch notes that the deal will clear some of the debt and give the Pohlads more room to invest in payroll and stadium upgrades.
The family had been exploring a sale of the franchise since late last year, reportedly seeking $1.7 billion from investors. As mentioned, Joe said the debt was the main driver behind the intended sale. Tom also noted: “We never wanted to sell. But we also had to think about what’s in the best interest of the Twins, what’s in the best interest of the community.” With these minority investors, the Pohlads are going to hold majority ownership and hopefully pay down some or all of the debt.
Tom argued that the team’s middle market revenues “don’t necessarily support” a top-class stadium or a consistently high-performing team. Twins fans may not be satisfied with that explanation, although it is true that attendance at Target Field declined to roughly 1.8 million in 2025, compared to nearly 2 million in 2024. That figure was at 2.3 million in 2019 and has not fully recovered in the years following the pandemic.
Beyond ticket sales, the club’s regional sports network deal with Diamond Sports Group (now Main Street Sports) was not renewed after the 2024 season. This led Major League Baseball to manage the team’s broadcasts in 2025, a situation generally understood give clubs less revenue than a traditional RSN deal. Revenue pitfalls aside, Tom acknowledges that fans are right to be dissatisfied with the team’s performance. “It’s been 34 years since the World Series, and, up until 2023, 21 years since we had a playoff win,” he notes, “and that’s unacceptable.”
The Pohlad family has controlled the Twins since purchasing the team for around $40 million in 1984. Carl Pohlad, the family patriarch, was the original control person until his passing in 2009. He was succeeded by his sons and eventually his grandsons, the aforementioned Joe and Tom. Since the start of 1985, the team has a record of 2976-3295 (.475). The team won the World Series in 1991 but hasn’t had a ton of postseason success since then. Fans have generally criticized the Pohlads in recent years for a lack of spending in payroll as well as the lack of playoff success.
Heading into the final day of the season, the Twins have posted a record of 70-91 (.435), ranking fourth in the AL Central. The team fared better early in the season but fell out of contention by the trade deadline, leading many to expect a sell-off. However, the sell-off ended up being much more vast than anticipated. In addition to trading pending free agents like Chris Paddack, Harrison Bader, and Willi Castro, they also traded star closer Jhoan Duran to the Phillies and controllable reliever Griffin Jax to the Rays. They also shed significant payroll by sending Carlos Correa to Houston, with Minnesota responsible for $33MM of the $103.4MM remaining on his contract at the time of the swap. All told, the Twins traded away 10 big-league players and signaled the start of a rebuild for the franchise.
The decrease in spending has even extended beyond payroll cuts. Earlier this month, the club announced that they will not renew the contracts of four people on their pro scouting staff, leaving just one major league scout heading into the offseason. On the one hand, the cuts follow the trend of teams relying less on traditional scouting in favor of analytics. However, as reported by Dan Hayes of the Athletic, the team’s decision to pare back its scouting department was about cutting costs rather than analytics.
It’s currently not confirmed if the Twins plan on making further payroll cuts or if they now feel better about the financial picture. Pitching-wise, the team has Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan under control through 2027, while Byron Buxton continues to lead the offense. The club also has four Top 100 prospects according to MLB.com, with outfielders Walker Jenkins (No. 14) and Emmanuel Rodriguez (No. 67) finishing this year at AAA. The Twins could try to put another competitive team together or they could target further spending cuts by making players like Lopez or Ryan available in trades this winter.
AL Notes: Naylor, Chisholm Jr., Altuve, Cowser
Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor was removed from Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Dodgers due to groin tightness, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Manager Dan Wilson described the move as precautionary, which is quite a relief for M’s fans as they gear up for the postseason. Naylor has been one of the team’s best hitters since being acquired from the Diamondbacks in July, batting .299/.341/.490 triple in 54 games with his new club. He has also been a positive on defense, posting five Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average at first base.
It makes sense for Seattle to play it safe with Naylor’s health. The team has already clinched the No. 2 playoff seed in the American League, which gives them a first-round bye through the Wild Card Series. Their first game is set for Saturday, October 4, against either the Guardians or the Tigers. With a week off until then, the club wants to make sure Naylor is at full strength for what will hopefully be a deep postseason run.
Some more notes from around the Junior Circuit…
- Initial x-rays on Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. were negative, and he is set to undergo a CT scan as well, according to Erik Boland of Newsday. Chisholm was removed from yesterday’s 6-1 victory over the Orioles after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. The 27-year-old is having a great year for New York, posting a .243/.333/.482 triple slash that rates as 27% better than league average by wRC+ while continuing to provide good defense at the keystone. Heading into their final regular season game, the Yankees are tied with the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East, although they have clinched a postseason spot regardless. With that in mind, the club may give Chisholm the day off to rest up before a potential Wild Card Series on Tuesday.
- Astros second baseman Jose Altuve told Chandler Rome of the Athletic that his right foot injury “is pretty painful,” adding that he “had no choice but to go out there and play.” Houston had been fighting for the last AL Wild Card spot recently, but with the Guardians defeating the Rangers 3-2 yesterday, the Astros were eliminated from postseason contention. Altuve has hit .265/.329/.442 in his age-35 season, good for a 113 wRC+, but his defense has graded out poorly. In addition to 66 games at the keystone with -8 DRS, he has also spent significant time in left field, earning -10 DRS in 47 games there. According to Rome, Altuve will meet with doctors to discuss his next steps, though it is unclear if surgery is on the table.
- Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser played through two broken ribs which he incurred back in June, according to Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner. The 25-year-old previously missed time due to a thumb fracture as well as a concussion. Regarding this additional injury, he explained that even though he felt good enough to play, he was “still trying to find [his] way back” performance-wise. In 91 games this year, Cowser has batted just .198/.272/.390 with an 85 wRC+, with the injuries undoubtedly affecting his performance. Baltimore is out of postseason contention, so Cowser will look toward the offseason to get back to full strength in order to help his team in 2026.