​It was in 1990 that the Minnesota Vikings snapped up Cris Carter off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles for a mere $100, and Carter went on to earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This isn’t meant as a direct comparison to the Minnesota Twins’ reported deal to acquire Kody Clemens from the Phillies for a similar bargain, but it does suggest a potentially favorable string of events. A rumor suggests the Twins paid the Phillies $100,000 upfront for Clemens. In 81 games this season, the 30-year-old versatile player is hitting 16 home runs, placing him second on the team behind All-Star Byron Buxton, who has 25. “Certainly a little mix of good fortune,” Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll told the Pioneer Press. Clemens, who has logged time at both first base and center field, is earning $804,000 this season, while Buxton is making $15.1 million.
With Buxton sidelined by a right hip injury and missing Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia, former Twin and 2006 American League MVP Justin Morneau wondered aloud whether Clemens might serve as Buxton’s replacement in the midsummer classic. It’s an appealing notion, though not an actuality.
Last March, more than 63,000 fans attended a National Women’s Soccer League match in Denver between Summit FC and the Washington Spirit. In the same season’s early games, the Boston Legacy drew more than 30,000 spectators for a showdown with NJ/NY Gotham FC. The league’s average attendance this year sits at 11,044. In the United Soccer League, the Aurora women’s pre-professional team, based in Eagan, averages 5,518 spectators at TCO Stadium. On the professional side, the Vikings’ owners, Mark and Zygi Wilf, also own MLS and NWSL teams in Orlando, Florida. Minnesota United FC, based in St. Paul and known as the Loons, is drawing near-capacity crowds of around 19,000 at Allianz Field.
Given these parallel sports investments, St. Paul appears to hold potential as a market for a future NWSL team. “Number one, we’re big supporters of soccer for everyone, including women’s leagues and support for the Aurora, as well,” Loons owner Bill McGuire told the Pioneer Press last week. “The NWSL is the top-tier professional league in the U.S. It has its own set of economics that are pretty significant — capital and ongoing operational things. The economics are extraordinarily different, and that would be the thing that would have to be overcome. We’ve stayed focused on supporting the women’s game and youth, as well, and our own program that is the men’s thing right now. We’re trying to put a great product out there that people enjoy going to see. That’s been our primary focus. We haven’t tried to venture out beyond that.” Translation: McGuire and his partners, including the privately built Allianz Field, have invested roughly $500 million in the Loons and related real estate development in the Midway area, and that level of involvement suggests they’re not rushing into new ventures.
With all of this in view, the landscape shows a mixture of historical bargains, current roster moves, and ambitious regional sport development that underscores Minnesota’s growing footprint across multiple professional leagues.