Money Might be the Real Reason the Front Office did Nothing at the Deadline

[Major League Ready]

6 hours ago, USAFChief said:

You look at this team and don't see obvious areas needing help?

Yeah, me neither.

So why didn't they get some?

 

Do you suspect the management of other teams in similar positions like Cleveland and Seattle are incompetent or is it possible they weighed the short-term benefits against the long-term cost and came to a different conclusion than you have?  When considering this question see 2022 Minnesota twins.  IDK about you but I think adding CES's bat right now would be pretty ideal and Cano in our BP would look pretty good too not to mention the possibility one or two of the other prospects that were moved could turn out to be something.  All of it was ill-advised because it would not have mattered if Mahle and Lopez would have produced as we hoped.   Perhaps they learned something last year.

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, USAFChief said:

I know what the article was about...a possible, and quite plausible IMO, reason for no deadline additions.

What data would there be supporting or refuting this speculation? Would you expect to see Falvey say "Yeah, we're tapped out. No more dinero."?

Because as we both believe, there's holes in the roster. So why zero attempt to fix any of them? 

 

 

I guess I could just say they hate the fans. And don't care about winning. If you make a claim, you need data, or something.

Why is money more plausible than they didn't think the team was that great and wasn't worth investing prospect capital on?

[USAFChief]

2 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

 If you make a claim, you need data, or something.

... they didn't think the team was that great and wasn't worth investing prospect capital on?

Where's the data?

[old nurse]

10 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

I see no evidence of this supplied anywhere online. The easiest explanation is they didn't love the team, and didn't want to pay the cost of prospects. They seem to believe that Lewis will be back at third, and polanco can cover it until he comes back. RP is hard to predict.

All that's simple to believe is the truth. 

Some 40 years of history would give one the idea that the Pohlads have a budget limit. It would be an aLmost hard cap. To add to the team enough to make it competitive with Houston would have taken getting the 2 best relievers on the market as well as 2 rh bats that can OPS+ above 120 against LH pitching then you would be counting on 5 SP that haven’t pitched that many innings in a long time to continue to pitch another 3-5 more games.  The increase in attendance following a run to the WS would pay for the payroll. The probability of that kind of run is small

 

 

 

 

[NotAboutWinning]

Baseball is a strange business to be in. Not for the faint of heart. You're running a multimillion dollar corporation whose customers are over the top passionate about the product. Your assets are squishy, in that April valuation is nearly guaranteed to be different in September. And that is just the baseball side. Throw in a media contract that is 20% of your revenue and a complete unknown for 2024. Yes, money is a factor in all your decisions.

[Guest]

If the goal is to reach the playoffs and every other team in your division, including Cleveland, which had the best chance of catching you, is selling (or in the Guards' case, self-immolating), why join that party?  You're at a record-high payroll, fan interest is flat, your farm system is beginning to thrive again and your chances of making the playoffs (or achieving more success in this year's playoffs) aren't going to increase very much by acquiring this year's throwaways for your high-value prospects.  The FO really got burned playing this game last year and we've all had field days criticizing them for their lack of acumen.  Why not wait for a buyers' market?  

[twinstalker]

Somebody had to say "stop the madness."  Falvey has overpaid for everything and pretty much been a lap dog to Scott Boras.  Anybody can do that.  Don't know what I'm doing?  Hey, I'll just overpay for a Boras client.

Anyway, I was thinking recently that the Pohlads have to put up a stop sign to this, and that would mean Falvey might have trouble doing anything, since he's already ruined the farm system.

[Minny505]

22 hours ago, Minderbinder said:

I likely would've said the same thing about Tyler Wells, Yennier Cano and Spencer Steer.  But, not now....

Spencer Steer was a much higher rated prospect than they would have needed to trade away for the role players needed.

Tyler Wells was lost in the Rule 5 draft, which is an argument to MAKE a trade so you don't lose a talented player for literally nothing.

Yannier Cano is one of the most shocking improvements in MLB in 2023. Maybe the most surprise improvement I recall ever seeing. He's essentially hitting his 99th percentile outcome. If you don't trade that kind of minor league player away then you are in favor of never, ever making a trade.

[Guest]

On 8/6/2023 at 10:22 AM, Minny505 said:

Spencer Steer was a much higher rated prospect than they would have needed to trade away for the role players needed.

Tyler Wells was lost in the Rule 5 draft, which is an argument to MAKE a trade so you don't lose a talented player for literally nothing.

Yannier Cano is one of the most shocking improvements in MLB in 2023. Maybe the most surprise improvement I recall ever seeing. He's essentially hitting his 99th percentile outcome. If you don't trade that kind of minor league player away then you are in favor of never, ever making a trade.

All of them --- Steer, Wells, and Cano --- were not evaluated correctly.  That is an argument for thinking twice or thrice before making a trade.  Any trade.  This FO didn't know what it had then and therefore it should be conservative before trading away what it thinks it has now, especially in a seller's market.  That says I'm in favor of rethinking the risk/reward before making a trade.  And please don't put words in my mouth.

[USAFChief]

This piece needs bumping.

Pretty insightful analysis, Mr Birkeland.

Pretty insightful indeed. And well out in front of it.

[DJL44]

If they're out of money because they spent $6,5M on Kyle Farmer and $4M on Manuel Margot instead of going with rookies that's pretty bad roster management.