Minnesota Twins fans lamented throughout the offseason about entering the 2024 season with a reduced payroll, especially after the franchise’s first playoff win since 2004. It seemed almost inconceivable for a team to cut costs after such a successful season.
But this is the Twins we’re talking about—the “cheap Pohlads.” This isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. The numbers are clear: the Twins had a $159 million payroll in 2023, which has now decreased to $129 million in just a few months.
The difficulty in securing a long-term local TV rights deal has exacerbated the situation, and whatever TV revenue they manage to secure in the near future is unlikely to match the $55 million they previously received from Diamond Sports (Bally).
Aaron Gleeman ‘extremely pessimistic’ about Minnesota Twins’ payroll going forward
Regrettably, it seems that this reduction in player payroll is not merely a temporary measure to “reset the books.” According to The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman, the Minnesota Twins are unlikely to return to their previous levels of spending, which reached $159 million in 2023.
In fact, Gleeman doesn’t anticipate them even reaching the $140 million mark spent on player salaries in 2022. For a more realistic projection of where player payroll will land, it’s safer to consider figures around $129 million, similar to their current standing.
“I’m extremely pessimistic about the likelihood of next year’s Twins payroll returning to 2023 ($159 million) or perhaps even 2022 ($140 million) levels.
There’s very little chance of the Twins securing a new local television deal and/or streaming arrangement worth anywhere close to the $55 million per season they made under their old long-term contract with Diamond Sports.
Beyond that, ownership claiming to have lost substantial money in recent years even while being paid $55 million per season for their local TV rights suggests dropping the payroll to $129 million could be the new normal.”
Minnesota Twins insider Aaron Gleeman on shrinking payroll
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