MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins franchise has only known two ownership families: the Griffiths and the Pohlads.

It appears that could soon be set to change.

Through Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad, the owning Pohlad family announced Thursday its intent to explore a sale of the Minnesota Twins after 40 years of ownership that began in 1984, a period that marked the fourth longest among all active ownership groups in MLB.

“For the past 40 seasons, the Minnesota Twins have been part of our family’s heart and soul,” Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad said in a statement. “This team is woven into the fabric of our lives, and the Twins community has become an extension of our family. The staff, the players, and most importantly, you, the fans -- everyone who makes up this unbelievable organization -- is part of that. We’ve never taken lightly the privilege of being stewards of this franchise.

“However, after months of thoughtful consideration, our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins. As we enter the next phase of this process, the time is right to make this decision public.”

Only the Steinbrenner family in New York and Jerry Reinsdorf of the White Sox have been stewards of their respective franchises as families for longer than the Pohlads have in Minnesota. Carl Pohlad, grandfather of Joe, led the initial purchase in ‘84 from the Griffith family, which had relocated the franchise from Washington D.C. to Minnesota in '61.

Since then, control ownership has passed to Jim Pohlad -- son of Carl -- who inherited the family business with brothers Bill and Bob upon Carl’s death in 2009. The club announced in ‘22 that Joe Pohlad -- nephew to Jim -- would take over primary administrative duties of the Twins while Jim remained control owner of the organization.

The Twins could become the fifth organization to undergo a sale in the last half-decade; the Marlins, Mets, Royals and Orioles have all changed ownership since 2018, with the Orioles’ controlling stake most recently purchased by David Rubenstein’s group for $1.725 billion in March, just before Opening Day.

“We truly respect and cherish what the Twins mean to Minneapolis, St. Paul, the great state of Minnesota, and this entire region,” Joe Pohlad added in the statement. “Our goal is to be as informative as possible with the team, staff, and you, the fans. You deserve that, because in so many ways, this team doesn’t belong to any one family – it belongs to all of you. It’s our objective to find an ownership group who all of us can be proud of and who will take care of the Minnesota Twins.”

Under Carl Pohlad’s stewardship the franchise won its two World Series championships, in 1987 and 1991. He also navigated the club through a proposed MLB contraction at the end of the 2001 campaign.

The franchise has remained a steady presence for good in the Twin Cities community, through not only the on-field product that has seen the club relocate to Target Field in 2010, but also through continued work with the Twins Community Fund and the Pohlad Family Foundation that has supported healthcare, youth development and social equity causes around the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

The statement and announcement made no immediate indication as to potential buyers or interest in the franchise.

“After four decades of commitment, passion, and countless memories, we are looking toward the future with care and intention -- for our family, the Twins organization, and this community we love so much,” Joe Pohlad said in his statement.