The Twins Are Building an Offensive Foundation That Could Last for Years

[HarmonK03]

1 minute ago, Fatbat said:

T. Pohlad just talked to the press about the team strategy on building upon this years mediocre success and future plans. He isn’t coaching up players but he is definitely working with Zoll on a daily basis on the business of player acquisition and organizational structure.  T.Pohlad is not considered a hands off owner. 

That is not a good thing to me if he is.  He knows nothing about evaluating players or what is needed to run the day to day operations.  But it also doesn't mean the previous executive owners were this way, especially Jim.  I know Tom P. has said he is trying to learn about the business but he needs to hire people who know what they are doing and let them do their job. 

[Fatbat]

10 hours ago, MikeNC said:

I love this thinking!  This is the only way for the Twins to have a shot at a WS run.  Aside from the obvious challanges of that many young guys all excelling to champ callibre at once is the $140MM which is quite a hike from the current $100MM targeted run rate.

Selling Ryan this offseason or Lopez a year from now will bring the $ 140M down alot! 2 years out 7/28, I would expect both Ryan and Lopez will be gone but I sure hope they are still here! 

[Fatbat]

5 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

That is not a good thing to me if he is.  He knows nothing about evaluating players or what is needed to run the day to day operations.  But it also doesn't mean the previous executive owners were this way, especially Jim.  I know Tom P. has said he is trying to learn about the business but he needs to hire people who know what they are doing and let them do their job. 

Agreed! As long as the right guys are making the right decisions, the organization can/will flourish!  The past few drafts have been very good and hiring Shelty seems like it’s working.  Hopefully player development takes a leap and gets these kids to shine in MLB!

[Hunter4848]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Perhaps you are not aware that the Twins spent more money on player's salaries during the entirety (add it all up) of Derek Falvey's tenure than any of the other teams in their division. 

Perhaps you have been a victim of the full-on anti-ownership writing since the budget was cut after the 2023 season. Perhaps you think that ownership scouts and signs players. 

Perhaps you believe that teams like the Twins (might include Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cleveland, and more) have the ability to run payrolls just below the Dodgers, Yankees, and a few others.

I do not know the Pohlads. I find it useless to laud (as they were in 1987) or condemn them (current time period). The front office has a budget and builds the team. Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, Cleveland and all others do the same. Perhaps you feel there is secret money somewhere being hoarded. I can't know what you beliefs are regarding the Twins.

The current front office is busy attempting to build a competitive team. The success of their efforts will be know in a decade. Winning a World Series is always the goal but If winning a World Series is the only barometer of success, then every team but the Los Angeles Dodgers were horrible failures and losers.

I'm enjoying the current team and a number of the prospects in the minor leagues. Ownership is not my concern.

Found the Pohlad burner account...

[Heiny]

15 hours ago, LyleCole said:

IT isn't an opinion, it is fact.

In the past 15 years the Twins have had a total payroll above the median payroll 2 times,  peaking at 12th place in 2000 ****ing 12.  They were 15th in payroll in 2023.

In the past 15 years the Twins have only spent more than the league average once, in 2012, by $3 million.   Even with that outlier year, they have underspent the average MLB payroll by $24.8 million annually.  

Please, signing Puckett and Mauer are anecdotal and not even close to an argument.  

And here is what it meant:  in the last 15 seasons we have gone to the playoffs 4 times.  We have one single playoff win to show for it, with a playoff record in that stretch of 1-9.

If the owners spend the money to just the league average adding 1-2 quality players to the roster, they could have been contenders, not pretenders.  

If they want to spend money now to make this team competitive, then do it and acquire some players at the deadline and make the contract offers to Jeffers and Ryan needed to retain them, along with other high end players. 

If they do not, then dump everything that moves to build up the prospect bank so that in a handful of years we can become competitive.  

So, what you should do,  "IN MY OPINION",  is to use your vast knowledge of the FACTS, to build a portfolio large enough to buy the Twins, appoint yourself as the GM and President of baseball operations, and build a winner.  Because it's obvious that you have all the facts and the expertise.  My point is, that none of us really knows what the business requires to happen, and I doubt that any of us knows as much as the scouting dept. and front office knows about the players and which ones can actually be had for the price we are willing to pay.  This started as a response to all the negativity about Zoll, and I'm just saying that maybe we should give him a chance to build a team before we beat him with a bat.

[Fatbat]

@LyleCole The Twins have the prospect assets to field a long time competitive team as soon as next season. It may be the best long term strategy to sell Jeffery, Ryan, Bell and Larnach to go even younger and deeper. No idea what Zoll has cooking and what budget constraints he has to work with so it is a wait and see. It would not be a huge surprise to see the organization hoard more prospects and go thru another no post season now and look for a fresh start under the new collective bargaining agreement. 

[dxpavelka]

23 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

The enthusiasm is great, but I am on hold.  Lackey has not even hit a minor league pitch, and he seems to be anointed the catcher of the future, but Tait, Diaw, and Tinney have something to say about that.  For all I know he will be a Levi Michaels.  What I am interested in will be the promotion of Jenkins and Houston - those two look like they could become stars.  

One of the catchers better pan out since the rube base seems convinced we need to move Jeffers cuz we'd get a return the size of Mount Everest. 

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, dxpavelka said:

One of the catchers better pan out since the rube base seems convinced we need to move Jeffers cuz we'd get a return the size of Mount Everest. 

Jeffers won’t be a Twin next year unless they pay him more than any other team is willing to pay him.