Leipold emerges as a leading candidate to take controlling ownership of the struggling Twins.
The Minnesota Twins have been in a state of change ever since the Pohlad family announced they were looking into a potential sale of the team, and now one longtime Minnesota sports figure is being looked at as a possible future owner.
Leipold Emerging as Potential Candidate
Wild owner Craig Leipold recently became a limited partner in the Twins along with Glick Family Investments and George G. Hicks, and longtime reporter Charley Walters of The Pioneer Press believes the move could be just the beginning.
According to Walters' recent column, Leipold could be in line to eventually take over as the team's controlling owner once Major League Baseball settles on a new economic model.
"Don't underestimate the chance that Wild owner Craig Leipold and his family, once Major League Baseball settles on a new economic model in a year or two, become the Minnesota Twins' next controlling owners," Walters wrote. "Leipold, remember, paid $80 million in 1997 for a NHL expansion team in Nashville, Tenn. In 2007, he sold the Predators for $193 million. A year later, he bought the Wild for $280 million. Today, the Wild are valued at nearly $2 billion. The Twins have been seeking $1.75 billion in a sale."
Walters added that Leipold has been a model owner for the Wild and that he would be a welcome owner of the Twins.
Why Leipold Makes Sense
The idea of Leipold taking over the Twins isn't as far-fetched as it may seem when you look at his history of sports ownership.
He has a long track record of smart investments in the sports world, and his time running the Wild has shown that he is willing to spend money and take chances to put a winning product on the ice.
The Wild currently hold a strong 24-10-6 record through the first half of the 2025-26 season, and the team's arena Grand Casino Arena remains one of the toughest places to get a ticket in the NHL.
If the upcoming CBA negotiations lead to significant changes in how Major League Baseball operates, including the possible introduction of a salary cap, franchise values could rise even more.
That would give the Pohlads a chance to walk away with a higher price tag than the $1.75 billion they were seeking, and it could also make the investment more attractive for someone like Leipold who has already shown he knows how to grow the value of a sports franchise.
Twins Coming Off Tough Season
The timing of all this comes after the Twins finished the 2025 season with a disappointing 70-92 record, finishing fourth in the AL Central and missing the playoffs.
The team went through what many called a "fire sale" at the trade deadline, dealing away key contributors like Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, and Willi Castro in moves that upset many fans and members of the media.
Despite the rough season, there were still some bright spots on the roster.
Center fielder Byron Buxton put together one of his best seasons, hitting .264 with 35 home runs and 83 RBI while earning his first Silver Slugger award.
Pitcher Joe Ryan also had a solid year on the mound, going 13-10 with a 3.47 ERA and 194 strikeouts across 171 innings while earning his first All-Star selection.
Looking Ahead
While the Pohlads have said they are not selling the team at this time and have instead brought in limited partners to help with the team's debt, many around the league believe it is only a matter of time before the Twins go back up for sale.
If and when that happens, Leipold's name will likely be at the top of the list of potential buyers, and based on his track record with the Wild, Twins fans would have every reason to be excited about that possibility.