Scoggins: Time for the Pohlads to get serious or sell the Twins

They finished it off, a collapse for the ages. A feat that once seemed so laughably implausible came to fruition because these plucky Minnesota Twins would not be denied infamy.

Congrats fellas. For weeks, your body language has suggested you already were emotionally on vacation. Now it’s reality.

From playoff shoo-in to playoff phooey in a matter of six weeks is a special kind of meltdown, and now the blame game kicks into overdrive.

Me? I start at the top.

Message to the Pohlads: Get serious or sell the team. Those are the options. Either or. Because the approach this season was shameful.

Executive chair Joe Pohlad committed an epic public relations blunder back in spring training when he told WCCO’s Jason DeRusha that the team had no interest in pursuing high-priced free agents on the heels of a thrilling season that re-energized the fan base.

Pohlad mentioned the low-spending Tampa Bay Rays while noting “we’re also just trying to right-size our business.”

Right-size the business? That quote will stick to Joe in the same way that “total system failure” became Uncle Jim’s rain cloud.

The complete lack of understanding of the moment was remarkable.

The Twins had just won a playoff game for the first time in forever. Then they won a playoff series. Target Field was electric. Fans re-invested their emotions (and money). They started to believe in the present and future. Baseball felt like a big deal here again.

Ownership popped that balloon filled with goodwill.

They slashed payroll by $35 million, admitted publicly no desire to pursue expensive free agents, blamed the loss of TV revenue, then did next to nothing at the trade deadline to improve a team that had obvious needs in a pennant race.

What a lousy message to send to fans, and to the players.

Ownership of every team in every sport sets the tone for the franchise. They either show a commitment to winning, or their words and actions create a different perception.

With the Pohlads, perception has become reality.

Yes, the dispute between Comcast and Bally Sports North impacted the organization’s financials, but that was a short-term disruption. The Twins aren’t absolved of blame for that mess because they didn’t have a Plan B.

Ownership’s inability or unwillingness to recognize the negative impact that a payroll dump would have on the momentum and fan re-engagement generated last season is just mind-boggling.

Now compare that approach to their neighbors across the street.

Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly didn’t sit still after watching his team advance to the Western Conference Finals. On draft night, Connelly made an aggressive move to trade up and select Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham at No. 8 overall.

Connelly identified a weakness in his roster and addressed it, knowing the team’s luxury tax bill would increase significantly with that move. Wolves ownership gave Connelly the green light.

“We think we have a chance,” Connelly said on draft night. “We’re at the big table, so it’s not time to get scared now.”

Connelly’s blockbuster trade of Karl-Anthony Towns late Friday night proved again that he’s not scared to trust his vision.

To be clear, payroll isn’t the sole driver of success. Teams with lower payrolls than the Twins made the playoffs.

That’s why everyone deserves blame and should be held accountable. Derek Falvey’s front office assembled a roster that needed too many players to overachieve and failed to adequately address pitching shortcomings.

Manager Rocco Baldelli didn’t press the right buttons to halt the prolonged skid, his handling of pitching remains baffling too often and his recent comments about hitters’ approach suggests players tuned out the coaching staff.

Baldelli reached a boiling point in Kansas City in early September, calling his team’s performance “unprofessional.” That is the correct word to describe the players’ role in the collapse. They gave an unprofessional effort, especially the lineup.

The fan base is as angry as it has been in a long, long time. Angry at ownership. Angry at Falvey. Angry at Baldelli and players.

The organization has a lot of damage to undo to win back fans. It’s not a coincidence that the Twins rank in the bottom third of attendance despite being in a playoff race until the final week.

Changes are necessary. It remains to be seen how high up that goes. You won’t hear any argument from me on any move unless the plan is to do nothing.

A collapse to this degree represents an inflection point that requires soul-searching by the entire organization. That starts at the very top with ownership.

The Pohlads have two options.

What’s it going to be?