Charlie Walters: Twins to Seek Free Agents "Within Budget"

http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_2...e-agents-owner

Shooter quotes Jim Pohlad:

Pohlad said the Twins . . . will be able to afford some free agents. The Twins' payroll this season is about $100 million.

"We're happy at the level (of payroll) we're at right now," the Twins CEO said.


Regarding Ron Gardenhire returning next year:

"I always reserve the right to change our mind, but I can't imagine that," Pohlad said. "I love him as our manager."



Regarding Terry Ryan returning as GM:

Ryan is technically the interim GM and has said it's too early to decide whether he will stay in the role. Pohlad said he would be "surprised" if Ryan doesn't remain.

Well, if this is true, some good things can be done in the off season with the current financial commitment.

If the payroll stays at 100 million, that gives them at least 25 mil to spend, trading Carroll (3.5 mil), cutting Casilla (2 mil), or trading Span (5 mil?) would free up even more.

That is plenty of money to "make a splash" in free agency. Hell, Ryan was able to take 10 million and sign Doumit and Willingham this off-season.

That's great to hear, but TR is not going to spend just to spend. We will have more coming off after 2013. I like what TR is doing, although I'm probably in the minority.

They have 67m in contracts for next yr with Nishi and the Capps option. 8 players without those two guys so they'll need to fill out 17 players with the balance of 23-33m. We have no idea if the payroll will be 90 or 100, guessing the final cash flow will tell that. Not really a lot of room for 8-10m contracts with that many guys fitting into what's left.

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Originally Posted by TKGuy

That's great to hear, but TR is not going to spend just to spend. We will have
more coming off after 2013. I like what TR is doing, although I'm probably in the minority.

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Agreed, I don't think he should spend just to spend. But if you can find another Willingham type signing (for an SP) then give them a 2-3 year deal for a team friendly salary. If not, spend that money on 1 year deals. No such thing as a bad one year deal for the most part.

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Originally Posted by East Coast Twin

http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_2...e-agents-owner

Shooter quotes Jim Pohlad:

Pohlad said the Twins . . . will be able to afford some free agents. The Twins' payroll this season is about $100 million.

"We're happy at the level (of payroll) we're at right now," the Twins CEO said.

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The payroll qualifier number is a bit deceiving, it never was "about $100 million", actually closer to $92-94M. As I posted previously, according to the current roster salary quotes on ESPN and assuming the DLers, Capps and Pavano are gone by season's end, Pohlad could mean he's happy "at the level of payroll we're at right now" - which (counting Nishioka) is NOT $100M, it is, in fact, $85M.

I wouldn't put it past this organization to come in around this number. It would still leave some room for FAs, but not enough for a top pitcher, they would still have to trade another big salary or two to "afford some (ie, more than one) free agents".

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Originally Posted by SpiritofVodkaDave

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Agreed, I don't think he should spend just to spend. But if you can find another Willingham type signing (for an SP) then give them a 2-3 year deal for a team friendly salary. If not, spend that money on 1 year deals. No such thing as a bad one year deal for the most part.

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Right. The Twins need low-risk, bridge-type deals. You put yourself in position to flip mid-season, tender or re-sign- Jackson, Maholm and Bedard were good examples this year. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any Willingham-type SPs out there, but it certainly is possible.

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Originally Posted by jokin

Right. The Twins need low-risk, bridge-type deals. You put yourself in position to flip mid-season, tender or re-sign- Jackson, Maholm and Bedard were good examples this year. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any Willingham-type SPs out there, but it certainly is possible.

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I'm sure someone will fall through the cracks like they usually do.
It should also be pointed out that if they trade a guy like Span they could bring back a legit SP that still has 3+ years of team control (basically no real cost to the team in 2013)


Perhaps we could be on the other end of a Garza/Young swap this time. (Not saying we will get someone with as high of an upside as Garza) but getting a solid young pitcher back for Span shouldn't be out of the question. I sorta wonder if the Rangers will be desperate for OF after this season once they inevitably lose Hamilton.

we have seen to many on the cheap signings for washed up pitchers...go big or stay home ..if we arnt all in trade off everyone including no trade claus joe mauer....

Please get rid of TR. Gardy is an icon so I don't mind him :D. I'd like to have a younger GM who has new school ways. The Twins should dig through the Rays and Pirates organizations for some different management. The Twins NEED fresh faces going forward.

Interesting, but you can't read too much into soundbites.

Terry Ryan has a tough row to hoe in figuring out a starting rotation for 2013. He'll have some money to spend, nobody know exactly how much yet, but I expect a free agent or two. Since he needs quantity at least as much as quality, I expect he'll wait until the biggest names are gone, then go sorting through the bargain bin again. Hopefully with better results than Jason Marquis.

The wildcard in this whole thing is Morneau. Does he get traded for pitching, or to free up money to sign a starting pitcher?

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Originally Posted by johnnydakota

we have seen to many on the cheap signings for washed up pitchers...go big or stay home ..if we arnt all in trade off everyone including no trade claus joe mauer....

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D
Do you speak english?

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Originally Posted by jokin

"at the level of payroll we're at right now" - which (counting Nishioka) is NOT $100M, it is, in fact, $85M.

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Could you show your work there? I suppose I could look some stuff up, but I don't think I've seen anyone use that number even though there is a little bit of variation based on "who counts."

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Originally Posted by one_eyed_jack

I expect he'll wait until the biggest names are gone, then go sorting through the bargain bin again. Hopefully with better results than Jason Marquis.

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I'm no master negotiator, but I would think that an early and time-limited competitive offer (on the low side) to a second tier free agent would be more likely to work well than having to operate under scarcity later on when other options have signed elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by CDog

Could you show your work there? I suppose I could look some stuff up, but I don't think I've seen anyone use that number even though there is a little bit of variation based on "who counts."

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Get out your calculator. Add Nishi, subtract their overestimation of Morneau ($15M).

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/roster/_...innesota-twins

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Originally Posted by YourHouseIsMyHouse

Please get rid of TR. Gardy is an icon so I don't mind him :D. I'd like to have a younger GM who has new school ways. The Twins should dig through the Rays and Pirates organizations for some different management. The Twins NEED fresh faces going forward.

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I proposed just this earlier this spring. The Rays Matt Arnold would be a great young hire, highly educated with a demonstrated level of success finding talent, just add in a couple of seasoned vets to lend him a hand and the Twins could head in a fresh, new direction.

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Originally Posted by jokin

Get out your calculator. Add Nishi, subtract their overestimation of Morneau ($15M).

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/roster/_...innesota-twins

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No Baker on there (6.5) nor 2/3 of Liriano (3.7). Without the several "N/A" which are almost/all minimums on that list (but there are nine of them on the major league team now...not all have been there all year, but then Parmalee and some others aren't on there now), those two included get over $91M. Marquis gets it over $94M. I guess you could make the case Baker and Marquis don't belong on there, but Liriano almost certainly does. Some others that may "count" to some folks I think, too, that aren't on that list like Zumaya. Muddled point I know, but the shorter more concise version is "there's stuff not included in that $85 that should be."

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Originally Posted by jokin

The payroll qualifier number is a bit deceiving, it never was "about $100 million", actually closer to $92-94M. As I posted previously, according to the current roster salary quotes on ESPN and assuming the DLers, Capps and Pavano are gone by season's end, Pohlad could mean he's happy "at the level of payroll we're at right now" - which (counting Nishioka) is NOT $100M, it is, in fact, $85M.

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Yeah.... you are completely wrong:
As per Cot's, which has a lot more credibility then a random message board poster here ya go:
http://i46.tinypic.com/wyz5.png
100 mil for 2012.

Here is the specific breakdown for this year, (Zumaya was cut off FWIW)

http://i45.tinypic.com/34e4yv9.png

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Originally Posted by SpiritofVodkaDave

'

Agreed, I don't think he should spend just to spend. But if you can find another Willingham type signing (for an SP) then give them a 2-3 year deal for a team friendly salary. If not, spend that money on 1 year deals. No such thing as a bad one year deal for the most part.

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Marquis, Ponson, Livan Hernandez, Mike Lamb? Who else did they sign for a year?
Good one year deal for the Twins? Morris.
Orlando Hudson was neither good nor bad.
Zumaya was a gamble that they lost on. I think is was worth the shot even though they lost. Jeff Gray I think was only intended to be filler for a year, thus not bad.