Tom Pohlad Claims Twins Tried To 'Make a Splash' With Framber Valdez

In the days following Framber Valdez inking a three-year, $115 million deal with the Tigers, reports surfaced that the Twins, of all teams, were reportedly in on Valdez before he landed with Detroit. Rightfully so, there were questions about how serious Minnesota actually was in those conversations.

Minnesota's payroll is around $105 million. That means Valdez's $38.3 million salary is around a third of the Twins' entire payroll. The Twins have also mostly just added pieces around the edges of their big league roster this winter. It was fair to wonder if the Twins were simply checking in or if they were seriously considering signing one of the best arms on the free-agent market.

According to new controlling owner Tom Pohlad, the Twins were serious about Valdez.

“It would’ve been fun to make a splash and show the organization and the fans that we’re committed," Pohlad said Monday. "I do know that payroll matters to people. I mean, it wasn’t just about adding to the payroll. It was a decision that [General Manager Jeremy Zoll] thought was in the best interest of the team, and if he thought that, then I was going to be willing to go there for us.”

“He was the best pitcher on the market at that point," continued Pohlad. "We would’ve had a hell of a 1-2-3 punch [in the rotation], and it would be crazy not to look at that."

Pohlad reiterated his desire to be "aggressive" as the organization's controlling owner, a position he took over this offseason from his younger brother, Joe Pohlad.

"That’s my personality," continued Pohlad. "But there is only so much we can do given the timing that we were in. We tried to be aggressive on some things. Those things didn’t work out, and here we are. But I also don’t want something to get lost in translation here: We really like our team.”

While Twins fans remain skeptical about what the team will do on the field this season, Pohlad said he thinks they have a "good mix of veterans and really talented young people who want to make a statement." Most sportsbooks have the Twins over/under for wins in 2026 at 73.5. That's something Pohlad said was "ridiculous," noting he believes the Twins are "going to exceed expectations."

Rebuilding trust

A large part of Pohlad's focus since taking over has been communicating with fans and attempting to rebuild the trust between ownership and the fans. Whether it pays off remains to be seen, but it is a seemingly necessary task after years of fans' discontent with how the Pohlad family has stewarded the organization.

“I can’t outsource earning back the trust of our fans or of our employees or of the players," said Pohlad when talking about the outreach he has done with fans and players. "I think that work’s got to be done by me. So that’s what I’m trying to do.”

The organization recently announced $2 pregame beer specials to draw fans back to Target Field. Pohlad admits he's "under no illusion" that the outreach is secondary to winning. However, he said the Twins "have to do some of those things to get people re-engaged."

Amidst a dismal season in 2025 and a massive fire sale in July, the Twins recorded their lowest attendance numbers in Target Field history last season.

“The point is to provide a bridge to fans and build some value in the experience at Target Field until actual games are being played, and we see where our team stands," said Pohlad.

Rebuilding trust

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