Baseball Gods to Tom Pohlad: 'Aight, Bet'

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

It wasn't equivocal, and it wasn't compulsory. This April, as part of a slow-motion goodwill tour in which he's tried to rebuild the fan base's faith in (or even tolerance for) his family, Tom Pohlad piped up. He gave Dan Hayes of The Athletic a quote that left little wiggle room. That even seemed to be by design. You can't gain much goodwill by going halfway.

"As we go throughout the year and more opportunities present themselves for us to put action to words, so long as we do that, I’ll be happy," Pohlad said. And later: "We owe it to our fan base as much as we owe it to [Derek Shelton], [Jeremy Zoll] and the players, to do everything we can to improve our team at that point.”

We should presume he meant it, because whatever goodwill (and time) it did buy him was nowhere near worth the backlash he'll receive if he goes back on that asseveration. However, it was an easy time to say those words. The Twins were 13-17 when Hayes's article ran, which was right on schedule; most fans, pundits and projection systems forecasted a losing season for them. In fairness, they're still sub-.500, too. Since that day, however, they've gone 40-37, and they find themselves right in the thick of the race for the AL Central, as well as a possible Wild Card berth. They've proved themselves resilient, and they've played near the top of their spectrum of possible outcomes based on their talent. Unequivocally, this team is in position to buy at next week's MLB trade deadline.

It's time, in other words, for Pohlad to pony up. In fact, the baseball gods have offered him no quarter. Although this team (frankly) is not all that good, they're also plainly not bad, and they're playing in one of the weakest divisions and leagues in recent memory. They have a glaring need for pitching help, and a strong farm system with which to pursue it. They have, by any reasonable reckoning, plenty of money to spend. The stars all aligned. The dictate is clear, and Pohlad's own words have painted him into a corner.

Admittedly, it would be strange (and ill-advised) for the team to go all-in and trade top prospects to bolster this squad. They're just entering a competitive window, not peaking or trying to maximize the final phase of a cycle. They can get better easily, though, and Pohlad's money can do a lot of that work. Here are five guys they could acquire, for whom the prospect cost could be minimized if the Twins take on the salaries involved.

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Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays

RHP  Age: 35 FA: Nov 2026 Sal: $23m

There are days when, as they say, the splitter ain’t splittin’, and on those days, Gausman gets frighteningly hittable in a hurry. The rest of the time, though, he’s as steady and sturdy as a starter comes these days. He fills up the zone and gets ample swings and misses, especially with that splitter. He can dominate, and he has a solid postseason track record. The Blue Jays, who look unlikely to emerge from the quagmire into which they’ve sunk in the standings, are likely to deal Gausman, rather than let him walk for free this winter. His salary is substantial, but Toronto is one team who should be willing to eat the money to maximize the return they realize in a trade. There are many harder-throwing starters a team might pursue this month, but few who are as likely to have a positive impact on a postseason run.

Kevin Gausman is a tough, durable veteran starter—someone who could start a playoff game and give the Twins a chance to win even against a tough lineup. He's an impending free agent and is still owed over $7 million. If the Twins are willing to take on that money, he wouldn't cost that much, and he could be a difference-maker for them both in the regular season and come october.

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Luke Weaver, Mets

RHP  Age: 32 FA: Nov 2027 Sal: $9.5m

A well-established high-leverage reliever having his best year on a massively disappointing team, Weaver is just about perfectly situated to be traded for a haul and to be a main character come October. He’s always had good swing-and-miss stuff, and is filling up the strike zone better than ever, working with a simple three-pitch mix and excellent command. The Mets are slated to pay him $12.5 million in 2027, and for them, that’s a drop in the bucket, so they might even pay down some of his salary to maximize the return in a trade. Neither on this year’s moribund club nor on next year’s is he likely to have a greater impact on the organization’s fortunes than he can have as a trade chip on a market starved for top-flight right-handed relievers.

A major bullpen upgrade is the most obvious way the Twins could get better this week. Weaver is under contract for 2027, too, so while he would cost a good prospect or two, he could help them not only this year, but next. He's an ideal fit for their situation, as long as Pohlad is willing to shell out the relatively high financial cost for a non-closer.

Quote

 

Antonio Senzatela, Rockies

RHP  Age: 31 FA: Nov 2026* Sal: $12m

Quick, someone rescue this guy from Coors Field and see if there’s even more to unlock. After a career full of promise (enough so that he signed a long-term deal with the Rockies in 2021) but often sidetracked by injuries and/or pitching at elevation, Senzatela has embraced a move to the bullpen and taken off this year. He still throws 97 with his four-seam fastball, but now, he pairs that with a vicious cutter in the 92 MPH range, which both misses some bats and induces ample weak contact. If he never (or very rarely) had to pitch in Colorado, his four-seamer might even turn out to be the good pitch everyone briefly hoped it would turn out to be. He’s stuffed the strike zone and begun manipulating swings better by simply relying on power out of the pen. A team picking him up would have a chance to benefit from his experience working multiple innings come September and October, and in November, they’d even have a chance to retain him for $14 million in 2027. That’s a high price for a middle reliever, but if he shows you two months of relief ace-caliber work after escaping Colorado, you might give that a shot—or even move him back to the rotation at age 32.

It's a similar situation to that of Weaver, but Antonio Senzatela offers the bonus of not being obligated to pay up for 2027. The salary taken on for this season wouldn't be terribly onerous, and if it pans out well, the team could elect to bring him back at a moderate price.

Quote

Dustin May, Cardinals

RHP  Age: 28 FA: Nov 2026* Sal: $12.5m

It’s great to see May come through a multi-year run of miserable injury luck to pitch the way many long believed he could. Not has his good season with the Cards been solely about being available. He’s throwing more strikes, thanks in part to a rejiggered approach that favors four-seamers, cutters and changeups at the expense of sinkers and sweepers. He still has an extremely lively arm, and his stuff is playing better this season, thanks to his newfound ability to fill up the zone. As an impending free agent on a team that still views itself as building for a future brighter than its present, though, he’s a strong candidate to be dealt. Unless the Cardinals can strike a deal with him this month to convert his mutual option for 2027 into a multi-year commitment, he’ll be on the market, and should slot nicely into the back half of a playoff-caliber rotation.

Dustin May could be a huge upside play for the Twins, and although the mutual option on his deal for 2027 is almost certain not to be mutually exercised, even a fistful of starts that get the team over the hump and into the postseason could be a huge windfall. The Cardinals will want something good for May, but his salary does give the Twins leverage, if they're willing to eat that money.

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Andrew Kittredge, Orioles

RHP  Age: 36 FA: Nov 2026 Sal: $9m

It’s not a trick they were hoping to turn, but the Orioles just might get something in return for Kittredge for a second year in a row. After trading him to the Cubs last summer and watching him dominate for Chicago down the stretch and into the playoffs, the O’s reacquired the righty so they could exercise the club option on his deal for 2026. Unfortunately, he’s missed some time, and the results aren’t especially pretty even when he’s been on the mound. Meanwhile, the team is floundering for a second consecutive summer. The stuff remains good; he’s still inducing ground balls; and he’s throwing strikes, so Kittredge still has trade value. There’s little reason for Baltimore not to move him again and look ahead to 2027.

This should, at this point, be the bare minimum. The Twins need help in the bullpen. Andrew Kittredge is one of several available right-handed hurlers who could assume a high-leverage role for them and slightly upgrade the relief corps, and who are making somewhere between $7 million and $12 million. If the Twins don't at least trade for someone like Kittredge, Pohlad will have failed to keep his promise to the fan base and to the team.

The good news is that this team is in the hunt. The even better news is that the season has left much less uncertainty than one might have worried it would even a month ago. The only bad news is for Pohlad, and then only for his bottom line. He said he wants to help Zoll make this team better. Now, he gets to prove that he meant it.

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[DJL44]

If they sell on Jeffers they need to redirect that cash to the pitching staff at a minimum.

I think I would prefer a starter. They will get about 50 innings from a starter but only about 20 from a reliever. Gausman will pitch an inning or two deeper into a game than Rojas or Prielipp which will save 10 innings for the bullpen.

[Whitey333]

I really don't expect the Twins to go on a spending spree and trade for expensive players.  IMO the team is only in contention due to the overall mediocrity in the American League.  They really aren't much different than last years team.  Twins have it tough in that they have a chance but have so many needs they can hardly be called contenders.

[AceBee]

My wish: To really test TPs words into action, any deal which is adding $ on the books is the true litmus test. I like no. 1 in that sense. Let's see if they can make it happen. Also, the way our roster is constructed and exclusively discussed in other articles, shipping away active players instead of all prospects makes a lot of sense. Fingers crossed for a productive exchange. Hoping to not get injury-ridden players or mediocre players who have an obscure good performance against the Twins being part of the deals.

What I think could happen: Jeffers trade +  random minor deals like 2023 or 2024 deadline

[Rufus]

The time to make major trade deadline deals is when your team has a legitimate shot at a winning it all.  Not when your team might sneak into the playoffs.  At this point the Twins should look at their strengths and trade from them to fill weaknesses (catching for pitching).  They should not be trading any top prospects for expiring contracts.  

[Rufus]

20 minutes ago, AceBee said:

My wish: To really test TPs words into action, any deal which is adding $ on the books is the true litmus test. I like no.1 in that sense. Let's see if they can make it happen. Also, the way our roster is constructed and exclusively discussed in other articles, shipping away active players instead of all prospects makes a lot of be sense. Fingers crossed for a productive exchange. Hoping to not get injury ridden players or mediocre players who have an obscure good performance against the Twins being part of the deals.

What I think could happen: Jeffers trade +  random minor deals line 2023 or 2024 deadline

How is spending more money going to help?  Making some smart baseball moves will.  If that involves increasing the pay role so be it.  But just throwing money around will do diddily.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

Any buying is going to be light buying unless they are buying a long term asset.  There is usually a premium at the deadline though.   They may even consider Nance as part of the buying - just doing it early.  That is the level of player I am expecting if we are trading.  So if we trade a few of our 20-30 ranked prospects yet add a top 8 prospect,  they system is still better.   Do they Trade Ryan though?  I don't think so,  I think they are continuing to hold on to Ryan which is decreasing value return but is creating leadership to the other pitchers.   

[mark allen]

Louis Varland, and someone else from Toronto Blue Jays for Joe Ryan 

 

[shimrod]

Twins adding salary? I think you meant to post this in "Just for Fun".

 

[AceBee]

40 minutes ago, Rufus said:

How is spending more money going to help?  Making some smart baseball moves will.  If that involves increasing the pay role so be it.  But just throwing money around will do diddily.

Agreed. My point about spending money was solely about testing TP's commitment to improve the team (which was the article focus) if the opportunity presents, like scenario no. 1. In other scenarios, that aspect wouldn't really get tested and anyway would fall more on the FO to make smart decisions and play the market well.  

[tony&rodney]

Easy to agree that any one (or even two) of the players mentioned are worth acquiring in the next week. The question or only hangup is with the player going the other direction. 

[mluebker]

1 hour ago, Rufus said:

The time to make major trade deadline deals is when your team has a legitimate shot at a winning it all.  Not when your team might sneak into the playoffs.

True enough, but with the CBA threatening to delay or disrupt the 2027 season and the chance to see the Twins in post-season play this year, this is a good time for TP to show everyone that he wasn’t just blowing smoke. I don’t think he and I would agree on what constitutes a contending team. Managing to earn a wildcard slot isn’t quite the same as having a shot at a world championship, but extending the season for a game or more by making the team better at the deadline instead of tearing it down again would be a clear and welcome statement. We may not see much meaningful baseball until 2028, otherwise

[strumdatjag]

1 hour ago, Rufus said:

The time to make major trade deadline deals is when your team has a legitimate shot at a winning it all.  Not when your team might sneak into the playoffs.  At this point the Twins should look at their strengths and trade from them to fill weaknesses (catching for pitching).  They should not be trading any top prospects for expiring contracts.  

Bingo.  In addition to trading Jeffers in order to acquire pitching and pitching depth, the Twins need to rebalance (probably in the off-season)  to get more right-handed hitting in the organization.   There must be mlb teams who are overbalanced on the right side if the plate.  
Meanwhile, adding one veteran right-handed bat for the stretch run would help this team’s problems when facing lefties. 

[HrbieFan]

1 hour ago, Rufus said:

The time to make major trade deadline deals is when your team has a legitimate shot at a winning it all.  Not when your team might sneak into the playoffs.  At this point the Twins should look at their strengths and trade from them to fill weaknesses (catching for pitching).  They should not be trading any top prospects for expiring contracts.  

💯 It would irresponsible for the Twins to go after any rentals to appease the media jackels and ignorant fans. We are a power hitter, 2 SP and at least 3 RPs away from even winning a series. If I get to play GM, I am looking into Hunter Greene with his team friendly contract and RPs with at least 2 years of control. Could we use the assets we get from Ryan, Jeffers and whoever else we move to target Greene. Does Larnach have much value? I would assume we could get a much better prospect than we got for Bader last year

[Dman]

Yeah per usual this team hangs onto mediocrity harder than a wood tick embedded in your arm.  If they are around .500 he'll have to do something.  Pretty hard to completely back down from those statements.  I don't know what Gausman would cost but I like that move the most.

This team has exceeded my expectations and the pen has held their own in July.  Maybe I shouldn't be a doubting Darren, but that August schedule has me feeling that things are about to crash.  We'll see how things play out but the closer they are to .500 the less likely this team is just a buyer or seller, but likely both.

[Nashvilletwin]

Another sucker bet - just what this franchise needs.

After learning the Bosox offered us Arias and Tolle for Ryan at last year’s deadline, it just makes sense to keep doubling down on bonehead bets when we could be building for the post lockout future. Sheesh.

Can you even imagine an infield of Arias, Houston, and Culpepper for six or seven years starting no later than ‘28?  Those three are all potential all stars - and not unreasonably so.  Not to mention two stud young lefty starters in Tolle and Rojas.

What were Falvey and ownership thinking?  Probably the same delusional thoughts Shelton and TP are thinking today.

 

 

[AlLagoon]

Well, they signed all their draft picks and spent over their pool allowance of 16.9 million to do so.

That is probably the best way forward for the Twins: draft, develop, find diamonds in the rough. 

I wouldn't touch the blue chippers on the farm to improve this Twins team. They showed right after the All-Star break that they are capable of dropping right out of the race just like that.

[bean5302]

6 minutes ago, Dman said:

Yeah per usual this team hangs onto mediocrity harder than a wood tick embedded in your arm.  If they are around .500 he'll have to do something.  Pretty hard to completely back down from those statements.  I don't know what Gausman would cost but I like that move the most.

This team has exceeded my expectations and the pen has held their own in July.  Maybe I shouldn't be a doubting Darren, but that August schedule has me feeling that things are about to crash.  We'll see how things play out but the closer they are to .500 the less likely this team is just a buyer or seller, but likely both.

I think this team is exactly where the vast majority of fans expected them to be. There have been ups and downs for the season, but this team is right where I thought it would be. 75-80 wins is almost universally where fans, analysts and models predicted this team.

There haven't been any huge surprises, and the things which needed to happen for this team to truly be a contender haven't happened.

The bullpen is managing to fail softly as in, it seems like they're not blowing games the Twins are actively winning, just pitching poorly overall. While the much lamented bullpen gets the focus, the Twins' rotation has actually been worse (25th vs. 24 in runs allowed) than the 'pen as of a couple days ago anyway.

This is a Derek Falvey team. Relatively high floor, very low ceiling. A bunch of mediocre, might be good enough to play regular guys. No direction. No plan. Wasted resources.

 

[bean5302]

3 minutes ago, AlLagoon said:

Well, they signed all their draft picks and spent over their pool allowance of 16.9 million to do so.

That is probably the best way forward for the Twins: draft, develop, find diamonds in the rough. 

I wouldn't touch the blue chippers on the farm to improve this Twins team. They showed right after the All-Star break that they are capable of dropping right out of the race just like that.

Teams cannot draft their way out of mediocrity. They either have to spend now or rebuild and spend later.

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

It wasn't equivocal, and it wasn't compulsory. This April, as part of a slow-motion goodwill tour in which he's tried to rebuild the fan base's faith in (or even tolerance for) his family, Tom Pohlad piped up. He gave Dan Hayes of The Athletic a quote that left little wiggle room. That even seemed to be by design. You can't gain much goodwill by going halfway.

"As we go throughout the year and more opportunities present themselves for us to put action to words, so long as we do that, I’ll be happy," Pohlad said. And later: "We owe it to our fan base as much as we owe it to [Derek Shelton], [Jeremy Zoll] and the players, to do everything we can to improve our team at that point.”

We should presume he meant it, because whatever goodwill (and time) it did buy him was nowhere near worth the backlash he'll receive if he goes back on that asseveration. However, it was an easy time to say those words. The Twins were 13-17 when Hayes's article ran, which was right on schedule; most fans, pundits and projection systems forecasted a losing season for them. In fairness, they're still sub-.500, too. Since that day, however, they've gone 40-37, and they find themselves right in the thick of the race for the AL Central, as well as a possible Wild Card berth. They've proved themselves resilient, and they've played near the top of their spectrum of possible outcomes based on their talent. Unequivocally, this team is in position to buy at next week's MLB trade deadline.

It's time, in other words, for Pohlad to pony up. In fact, the baseball gods have offered him no quarter. Although this team (frankly) is not all that good, they're also plainly not bad, and they're playing in one of the weakest divisions and leagues in recent memory. They have a glaring need for pitching help, and a strong farm system with which to pursue it. They have, by any reasonable reckoning, plenty of money to spend. The stars all aligned. The dictate is clear, and Pohlad's own words have painted him into a corner.

Admittedly, it would be strange (and ill-advised) for the team to go all-in and trade top prospects to bolster this squad. They're just entering a competitive window, not peaking or trying to maximize the final phase of a cycle. They can get better easily, though, and Pohlad's money can do a lot of that work. Here are five guys they could acquire, for whom the prospect cost could be minimized if the Twins take on the salaries involved.

Kevin Gausman is a tough, durable veteran starter—someone who could start a playoff game and give the Twins a chance to win even against a tough lineup. He's an impending free agent and is still owed over $7 million. If the Twins are willing to take on that money, he wouldn't cost that much, and he could be a difference-maker for them both in the regular season and come october.

A major bullpen upgrade is the most obvious way the Twins could get better this week. Weaver is under contract for 2027, too, so while he would cost a good prospect or two, he could help them not only this year, but next. He's an ideal fit for their situation, as long as Pohlad is willing to shell out the relatively high financial cost for a non-closer.

It's a similar situation to that of Weaver, but Antonio Senzatela offers the bonus of not being obligated to pay up for 2027. The salary taken on for this season wouldn't be terribly onerous, and if it pans out well, the team could elect to bring him back at a moderate price.

Dustin May could be a huge upside play for the Twins, and although the mutual option on his deal for 2027 is almost certain not to be mutually exercised, even a fistful of starts that get the team over the hump and into the postseason could be a huge windfall. The Cardinals will want something good for May, but his salary does give the Twins leverage, if they're willing to eat that money.

This should, at this point, be the bare minimum. The Twins need help in the bullpen. Andrew Kittredge is one of several available right-handed hurlers who could assume a high-leverage role for them and slightly upgrade the relief corps, and who are making somewhere between $7 million and $12 million. If the Twins don't at least trade for someone like Kittredge, Pohlad will have failed to keep his promise to the fan base and to the team.

The good news is that this team is in the hunt. The even better news is that the season has left much less uncertainty than one might have worried it would even a month ago. The only bad news is for Pohlad, and then only for his bottom line. He said he wants to help Zoll make this team better. Now, he gets to prove that he meant it.

 

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Kind of hard to know if these are good moves without considering what you have to give up.....

[mickster]

31 minutes ago, strumdatjag said:

Bingo.  In addition to trading Jeffers in order to acquire pitching and pitching depth, the Twins need to rebalance (probably in the off-season)  to get more right-handed hitting in the organization.   There must be mlb teams who are overbalanced on the right side if the plate.  
Meanwhile, adding one veteran right-handed bat for the stretch run would help this team’s problems when facing lefties. 

but trading a RH hitting catcher does not

[mickster]

21 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Another sucker bet - just what this franchise needs.

After learning the Bosox offered us Arias and Tolle for Ryan at last year’s deadline, it just makes sense to keep doubling down on bonehead bets when we could be building for the post lockout future. Sheesh.

Can you even imagine an infield of Arias, Houston, and Culpepper for six or seven years starting no later than ‘28?  Those three are all potential all stars - and not unreasonably so.  Not to mention two stud young lefty starters in Tolle and Rojas.

What were Falvey and ownership thinking?  Probably the same delusional thoughts Shelton and TP are thinking today.

 

 

That is an infield of prospects and potential - failing of TD in general is way too many put too much value in prospects being kept, versus dealing some

[strumdatjag]

26 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Another sucker bet - just what this franchise needs.

After learning the Bosox offered us Arias and Tolle for Ryan at last year’s deadline, it just makes sense to keep doubling down on bonehead bets when we could be building for the post lockout future. Sheesh.

Can you even imagine an infield of Arias, Houston, and Culpepper for six or seven years starting no later than ‘28?  Those three are all potential all stars - and not unreasonably so.  Not to mention two stud young lefty starters in Tolle and Rojas.

What were Falvey and ownership thinking?  Probably the same delusional thoughts Shelton and TP are thinking today.

 

 

That’s a bit too negative on the present and a bit too optimistic on the future.  
A few years ago, there were TDers predicting Keaschall and Lee as part of an All-Star infield.   Culpepper and Houston may be the next Trammel-Whitaker combo (or a similar superstar SS-3B combo) but we will find out. Meanwhile, some buying (pitching) and selling (Jeffers and maybe two 2nd tier prospects and/or two lottery picks)  at this deadline is warranted to  boost the current roster.   That wouldn’t decimate the future - in fact, some of that could be used to bolster sone positions of need in the system. 

[TJSweens]

This team needs to build a core before any deadline additions. What is the Twins core right now? Byron Buxton? You can't say players like Ryan or Jeffers because most of the conversation around them trade related. Like it or not, the only chance at a core group is in AAA and AA right now. The Twins need to clear the decks for these guys to come up and establish themselves. You can't keep retooling around a non existent core.

[strumdatjag]

18 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Teams cannot draft their way out of mediocrity. They either have to spend now or rebuild and spend later.

There are many teams which drafted themselves out of mediocrity or worse than mediocrity.  What about the Houston Astros? The Rays?   
I know that there were trades too.  

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

10 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

I think this team is exactly where the vast majority of fans expected them to be. There have been ups and downs for the season, but this team is right where I thought it would be. 75-80 wins is almost universally where fans, analysts and models predicted this team.

There haven't been any huge surprises, and the things which needed to happen for this team to truly be a contender haven't happened.

The bullpen is managing to fail softly as in, it seems like they're not blowing games the Twins are actively winning, just pitching poorly overall. While the much lamented bullpen gets the focus, the Twins' rotation has actually been worse (25th vs. 24 in runs allowed) than the 'pen as of a couple days ago anyway.

This is a Derek Falvey team. Relatively high floor, very low ceiling. A bunch of mediocre, might be good enough to play regular guys. No direction. No plan. Wasted resources.

 

This was a team that was never created to compete for the playoffs.  The hope was to be mediocre for this year to try and get as many butts in the seats as possible.  I do like your description for the bullpen but they are doing better.  We have 4-5 arms that are legit bullpen arms. Then you get to the bottom of the pen and like yesterday,  they just aren't good enough.  Its why I would have preferred to have kept Anderson up.  

As to the starters,  I think there is a reason Anderson went back down and its because we have some serious depth concerns for the starters.  Paredes was the depth option and he is now out 4-6 weeks likely.   I think they view Anderson as the plug in option.   That is what I am gathering.  Give him a start and he could be back up.   

Whether this was a Falvey team, Pohlad team or Zohl  team this year was always going to be a bridge year to a full rebuild.   Thats why they traded off the bullpen.   We just don't have enough talented hitters/defensive combo players.   Its why Houston/Culpepper are so enticing.   Houston is better defensively than Kreidler and the bat is looking like a legit contact with some mediocre power.    Culpepper will likely go to 2nd or 3rd.   The range is very good for either position and has more than good enough arm from 3rd to make it work. 

Sadly this is exactly the type of season that Tom wanted.   Decent fans in attendance - keeping revenues higher than a poor performing team while spending minimal prior to the new CBA.  This is likely in agreement with the new minority owners.   Now they paid at a 2 Billion valuation - what that did was knock down the debt and interest payments.     

This team will get sold for hope of the future.  I see very little chance of them selling of any significant prospect before then.  If they get to the playoffs, its a nice revenue boost, but my guess is they are quietly hoping they just miss and somehow get another lottery pick in the draft.