Insidious reason behind Tigers division rival's collapse revealed in latest bombshell

A lot of things had to go right for the Tigers to find themselves in the position they're currently in, just one game away from beating their division rivals to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2013. The Gritty Tigs had their magical run through August and September, but they wouldn't be in the postseason if it weren't for the astonishing decline of last year's AL Central winner, the Minnesota Twins.

The Royals also had themselves a few rough final weeks, but no one could've outdone the Twins who, in early August, were just 1.5 games back of the Guardians but ended their season 4.5 games between the Royals and Tigers, both of whom finished with identical records. In September, the Twins went an astonishing 9-18 (even the White Sox had a better September record!) to get pushed further and further out of a Wild Card spot.

Throughout the last month of the regular season, the Twins were just playing like they'd given up entirely. It seemed like they were eager, even, to get on with their offseason.

The latest news out of Minneapolis might explain why. Chairman Joe Pohlad, whose grandfather Carl Pohlad bought the franchise in 1984, announced that they had "reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins."

After a decline that helped the Tigers to the postseason, Twins ownership announces intention to sell the team

At the beginning of October, the Twins fired hitting coach David Popkins, and then general manager Thad Levine followed not long after, which foreshadowed shakeups from top to bottom during the offseason.

The Pohlad family's ownership tenure is the third-longest of any current owners behind the Steinbrenners' with the Yankees and Jerry Reinsdorf's with the White Sox. Carl Pohlad bought the team for $44 million in 1984, but a sale could be worth up to $1.5 billion.

An offseason sale doesn't exactly bode well for the Twins' 2025 season if recent history is anything to go by. The Angelos family sold the Orioles after a 30-plus-year reign before the 2024 season began, and although David Rubenstein's ownership was met with a lot of enthusiasm, that didn't stop the O's from getting swept in the Wild Card this year.

The Royals and Guardians both look like they're going to continue to be contenders, but if the Twins are a non-issue, then the top of next year's standings look very open. This could be exactly what the Tigers need to rocket back to the top in 2025.