What to make of MLB players' union head monitoring Twins' payroll

Tony Clark recently told the Star Tribune 'those are the things we pay a lot of attention to.'

Major League Baseball Players' Association executive director Tony Clark, right, and chief negotiator Bruce Meyer arrive for negotiations with the players' union in an attempt to reach an agreement to salvage March 31 openers and a 162-game season, March 1, 2022, at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla. | Greg Lovett / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Minnesota Twins' lackluster payroll has been the subject of fans' ire for the last two-plus seasons, and the lack of spending and moves this offseason have even drawn the attention from head of the MLB Players' Association, Tony Clark.

"This is obviously a very good club, a very good clubhouse (with) an opportunity to be the last team standing," Clark recently told the Star Tribune. "But they weren't as active during the offseason as they could have been, or some may think should have been. Those are the things we pay a lot of attention to."

Now, as the head of the players' union, Clark's job is to advocate for higher pay for all members. But the lack of spending of the Twins has been notable dating back to last season. After winning the American League Central in 2023 and beating the Toronto Blue Jays in a wild-card series to snap an 18-game playoff losing streak, the longest playoff losing streak in history, the team slashed payroll by over $25 million in 2024 from $156 million in 2023 to about $130 million last season.

It initially looked like it might work out alright. The Twins were in the mix to repeat in the Central, and at one point, they had a 10-plus game advantage for a wild-card spot. But injuries kept adding up and took their toll, and the losses started piling up, too. The end result was an 82-80 record, a fourth-place finish in the division and they missed out on the postseason.

The Twins have only retooled with minor moves this offseason, and they're payroll currently stands at $137 million, according to spotrac.com, which projects a final payroll of $142 million — still $14 million shy of the 2023 number.

The reasons are no secret. The television struggles with Minnesota's former partners, FanDuel Sports North, whose parent company Diamond Sports Group has been under bankruptcy proceedings, have resulted in a shortfall of cash. But for the fans, the frustrations have mainly been directed at ownership, the Pohlad family, which did announce intentions to sell the franchise after last season, though Justin Ishbia, who appeared to be the leading contender to purchase the team, recently dropped his bid, leaving the situation mired in uncertainty when a sale was initially expected by Opening Day.

That's a saga that's also drawn Clark's attention.

"We're hopeful the Twins continue to be a staple of the clubs that are trying to be the last team standing," he told the Star Tribune. "We're hoping that any challenges around a potential ownership change don't alter that."

Whether Clark's comments have any kind of impact on the Twins' approach remain to be seen. But for now, Twins fans will have to live with the lackluster payroll. This team has shown it can be good, with the caveat that they need to stay healthy.