MN Twins Owner Goes Full-Pohlad; Derek Shelton Already on Hot Seat?

Back in October, the Pohlad family did not sell the Minnesota Twins like they had planned just 10 months earlier. Instead, they sold a total of ~20% to different minority investor groups, in order to pay down a mind-numbing $500 million in debt.

That means, there are new voices that matter at Target Field for the first time in decades. We still don’t know how much say they have in daily operations, but since they officially came aboard in December, the changes at 1 Twins Way have been eye-opening, to say the least.

New MN Twins minority owners bringing more change than expected

It happened swiftly, too. At the MLB Winter meetings, when the new investors became official, we found out that Joe Pohlad — who was handed power by Jim Pohlad in 2022 — was being (essentially) fired.

In his place, came Joe’s older brother, Tom Pohlad, who came in with a completely different tone and plan than his brother, father and grandfather; starting his tenure with a bang, by pretty much admitting that his little brother ran the organization into the ground and that everything fans have been complaining about for decades is all true.

“In a lot of things we tripped over ourselves, if you will, and we certainly didn’t do a good job communicating what we were going through and what we were trying to accomplish. You take that all together and it’s a recipe for a very challenging time. We’re trying to hit the reset button — not a rebuild button, but a reset button.”

Tom Pohlad (via Star Tribune)

Too put it hyperbolically, Tom Pohlad pretty much told media and fans that his family needed to be better, something we NEVER would have heard come from Joe’s mouth.

Then on Friday, the Twins’ new top Pohlad shocked the baseball world by “mutually parting ways” with team president Derek Falvey, who had been running baseball operations since 2017.

And just like that, less than two month after the minority owners were made public, the Minnesota Twins have a completely different leadership structure.

Do you think that’s by coincidence? Seems unlikely.

Confirmed: Tom Pohlad is still a Pohlad

Naturally, Tom Pohlad’s boisterous comments above have brought on questions about a possible increase in player payroll, to help turn things around on the field, like he promised. Already, he appears to be frustrated by the onslaught.

As of today, the Twins’ payroll is projected at $100 million. that’s down $30 million from 2025 and $60 million from 2023. When confronted with reality again last week, Tom went full-Pohlad, wishing out loud that fans would “get off this payroll thing for a second”.

Also of note: It's taken Tom Pohlad just six weeks to start downplaying the impact of payroll and try to discourage questions about the Twins' decreased spending.

Their current $105 million payroll is below Metrodome-era levels relative to MLB as a whole: https://t.co/anhRs4jlgR pic.twitter.com/th0xfhXxWi

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) February 1, 2026

If we take Tom’s advice (ONLY FOR A SECOND), one thing is true. A lot is changing within the Minnesota Twins organization, even if the money problems still exist.

And just two days after Falvey’s exit, we know for a fact that the former team president is gone because he and the new head decision-maker did not see eye-to-eye.

Are we sure Derek Shelton’s job is safe as MN Twins manager?

Which brings me to new Minnesota Twins manager, Derek Shelton, who — let’s not forget — was hired by Derek Falvey. Given all of these sudden changes, can we even be sure his job is safe or that the ink is dry enough that it cannot be wiped off?

If we’ve learned anything in the six weeks since Minnesota’s new minority owners were introduced and Tom Pohlad was put in-charge… it’s that ANY decision made by Falvey and Joe Pohlad is now up for serious scrutiny.

Though Tom Pohlad took over in December after assuming control from his brother, Joe Pohlad, his involvement with the Twins began 14 months earlier.

Previously involved in outside Pohlad businesses, Tom Pohlad began participating in sales calls after his family announced it would explore a sale of the Twins in October 2024, a role that steadily increased as he negotiated with potential limited partnership groups last August following an announcement of the partial sale.

Hired originally by Jim Pohlad and considered close with Joe Pohlad after he was named executive chair in November 2022, Falvey had limited history with Tom Pohlad. From the outset, Twins sources said Falvey and Pohlad’s styles weren’t in sync.

Dan Hayes – The Athletic

Even if he does go to Fort Myers with the Minnesota Twins, Derek Shelton better be the best manager in baseball this season… or there’s almost no chance he keeps his job for year two.

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