Article: Twins Need To Be Buyers Next Winter

[TheLeviathan]

 

It absolutely is. The available payroll is what they decide to make it.  

 

 The idea that this franchise can't afford to pay a player $20 million per season moving forward is where people start to lose me. They're definitely a mid market team, but they prefer everybody to treat them as if they're small market. They're sitting at a little over 30 million dollars under the league average team salary right now. Mauer comes off the books after next season. MLB revenue continues to increase, meaning more sharing is generated. Somehow despite all this the Twins payroll has been decreasing over the last few seasons and now they can't even afford to hand out a contract close to Mauer's without drying up the well? I think the reality is that it is just easier to believe that this franchise can't spend above an imaginary line because they've refused to do it for so long...

 

I never said it would dry up the well.  Like any budget - and payroll is a budget - you have opportunity costs.  Signing a giant 7 year 200+ contract has the cost of signing two smaller FA deals like Ervin Santana.  It's not that they can't afford to, it's that (for me) the cost of doing is likely too great.  

 

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.  I wouldn't dive into those waters unless I thought I was putting the cherry on my World Series sundae.  I'd prefer to trade or dabble in the tier one below that where the years and dollars are not nearly so cumbersome to my budget.

[KirbyDome89]

 

I never said it would dry up the well.  Like any budget - and payroll is a budget - you have opportunity costs.  Signing a giant 7 year 200+ contract has the cost of signing two smaller FA deals like Ervin Santana.  It's not that they can't afford to, it's that (for me) the cost of doing is likely too great.  

 

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.  I wouldn't dive into those waters unless I thought I was putting the cherry on my World Series sundae.  I'd prefer to trade or dabble in the tier one below that where the years and dollars are not nearly so cumbersome to my budget.

Again, this isn't about spending just to spend. I've been clear about that. 

 

We'll chalk it up to a difference in philosophy. 

[nicksaviking]

 

Tom:  "I actually don't think the org is trying to get younger and build. I think they're trying to win."

 

​Concur.  And I support that approach.  I have no interest in a "rebuild," which really is more of an excuse than a strategy anyway.  All it does is push off trying to get better players far into the future while giving ownership another reason not to spend money.  Start getting better players now.

 

I understand those who don't want a rebuild, but it's really hard not to roll one's eyes when bringing in vets to go for the "trying to win now" strategy basically boils down to Castro, Giminez, Beslise, Breslow, Stubbs and Vogelsong. No rational baseball mind is going to say a defensive only catcher and 5 DFA candidates is what a 100 loss team needs to contend.

 

If that's the kind of effort put into free agency, is there really much downside to going for the rebuild?

 

[Mike Sixel]

I also don't think they are rebuilding. They only talked about adding veterans all off season. They did so. they tried to add even more. There is zero evidence they are rebuilding, or even building at all.

[USAFChief]

 

I understand those who don't want a rebuild, but it's really hard not to roll one's eyes when bringing in vets to go for the "trying to win now" strategy basically boils down to Castro, Giminez, Beslise, Breslow, Stubbs and Vogelsong. No rational baseball mind is going to say a defensive only catcher and 5 DFA candidates is what a 100 loss team needs to contend.

 

If that's the kind of effort put into free agency, is there really much downside to going for the rebuild?

I certainly agree I don't much care for the actual actions.  

 

I just agree that I don't think the Twin FO is trying to "rebuild," I think they are trying to win, and win now.  And I support that approach.

 

How they went about that approach is another story.

 

 

[KirbyDome89]

 

 or even building at all.

Hammer meet nail