For years, a disconnect has festered between the Minnesota Twins’ front office and its fanbase—a gap built on fiscal frugality and a lack of transparency. The trade deadline and successive sale/no sale of the last two weeks have left fan morale at a low. This created a complete lack of trust that is in deep need of solutions to gain it back.

The Pohlad family would do well to drop the charade and have an honest conversation with the fans about the financial realities of operating a baseball team in a smaller market. Continuing to operate with a payroll in the bottom half of the league while making sweeping promises of a commitment to winning is a strategy that is wearing thin on a loyal, yet increasingly cynical, fanbase.

The financial realities of the Minnesota Twins are not a complete mystery. The Twins have accrued some long-term debt for various reasons. This, coupled with the inherent revenue limitations of a smaller metropolitan area, means the Twins simply cannot compete with the coastal giants in a dollar-for-dollar bidding war for top-tier talent in the current bargaining agreement. To remain a viable business, the team’s yearly costs must be covered by its revenues, a simple economic truth that dictates a more conservative approach to spending.

This financial reality forces the team into a specific model of team building: A limited payroll and a focus on drafting, developing, and trading for young, controllable talent. It’s a reality that most fans can understand and even accept if it were communicated openly. Instead, the team’s financial constraints are often treated like a closely guarded secret, leading to frustration and accusations of greed.

By refusing to be upfront about their financial limitations, the Pohlads are not protecting the fans; they are insulting their intelligence. Every fan with an internet connection can see the payroll disparities across the league. They can see the team’s revenue estimates. To pretend is to pull the wool over the eyes of the very people who are asked to invest their time and money in the team.

If the Twins really want trust, an honest accounting of the team’s finances and an open admission of their operating procedures would go a long way in rebuilding it. It would allow for a more realistic set of expectations and a more unified front between the ownership and the fans. The Pohlads need to stop playing the shell game and start treating their fans like what they are: passionate, intelligent stakeholders in the success of the team.