Twins 'rounding third base' on finalizing advertiser for uniforms

Meka Morris isn't a real estate agent, but it sure must feel like it lately.

"We've had literally dozens of conversations and formalized pitches, from a wide variety" of interested buyers, said Morris, the Twins' chief business officer for the past two years. "We were on a couple of calls just this morning with prospective partners who expressed robust interest" in closing a deal.

What's particularly unusual about this property, though, is its size — about 4 inches by 4 inches square — and location. It's an already exclusive neighborhood that could develop into something historic, perhaps even "in the middle of some of the biggest moments the Twins have ever had," as Morris puts it.

She means, visible on Carlos Correa's shoulder as he hits a walk-off home run, or conspicuous on Jhoan Duran's sleeve as he delivers a ninth-inning strike, or impossible to miss as the Twins pass around a trophy. As CBO, Morris is in charge of finding an appropriate advertiser for the blank space on Twins uniform sleeves, and as the playoffs approach, even a team that hasn't won a postseason game in nearly two decades can be forgiven for selling dreams and ambitions.

"It's a point of leverage, no doubt," as are the Twins' first-place standing and strong odds of playing in October, Morris said. "We can certainly find our way to a brand that can experience the magic of the postseason. A playoff run can inspire that."

Fifteen major league teams now display a sponsor's logo on their jersey sleeves, though only one current division leader, Atlanta of the National League Eastern Division, has sold that space. Like the Twins, some teams are being especially deliberate about the brand they choose to partner with, Morris said.

"You want to ensure that your partner shares the same ethos and commitment to community that we do. We've engaged several interested parties, but they just weren't the right brand," she said. "And when you're talking about tattooing something to your sleeve that might be memorialized there forevermore when big moments happen, who they are matters."

Still, there are likely to be more deals struck as the playoffs approach — perhaps including one with the Twins. Talks have recently gained momentum, Morris said, and a decision could come before the season's end. "We're hopeful," she said. "Let's say we're rounding third base."

Such sponsorship deals are a new and lucrative source of revenue for teams, and they come at a handy time for the Twins, who don't yet know how their games will be televised or how much income that will provide next year. Even the New York Yankees, who rarely make changes to their on-field look, were convinced — by a record-setting contract reportedly worth $25 million per year — to add a patch for Starr Insurance to their uniform last month.

In addition to identity and fee, the Twins want whatever logo they sport to be an aesthetic fit; the Braves' yellow Quikrete logo on their sleeves has been roundly criticized for how it clashes with the team's red and blue color scheme.

"It matters to us. We just went down a brand refresh that has rendered a really beautiful jersey collection that we're proud of," Morris said. "The worst thing you could do is tattoo a patch to it that is completely misaligned with what is there. We don't want anyone to say, 'That's an eyesore.' "