A Radically Different Deadline Approach Has Led to the Same August Results for the Minnesota Twins

[Major League Ready]

1 hour ago, HarmonK03 said:

What rebuild were we in, he traded expiring contracts and relievers with a year and a half of control at the deadline last year.  Varland was the exception.  But Falvey has always treated relievers as fungible and traded them away a year and a half before free agency starting with Pressley.  He tendered Larnach in November.  Those are not signs of a rebuild.

Falvey has never had a clear plan for this organization and we don't know what his plans were last year either.  And we don't know the conversations between him and Tom P.

Duran and Jax both had 2 1/2 years left not 1 1/2.  Trading away every decent RP on your team sure as hell is not an indication you are trying to contend.  What were they trying to do with these moves trading for Abel , Rojas, and Bradley who had 4+ years of control if not rebuild?   Falvey was removed because he and Tom Pohlad did not agree on direction.  Pohlad wanted to go for it.  Can we read between the lines and conclude Falvey wanted to continue the rebuild.  Is there another direction other than try to contend or rebuild?  

Tendering Larnach tells us nothing.   Maybe he thought he could get a prearb RP for him which would have saved money and filled a need.  More likely, he believed Jenkins and Rodriguez were near ready, and he could eventually move Larnach to a 4th OF spot or out of the organization.  That would not only be consistent with a rebuild strategy it would allow the team to time promotions with readiness as opposed to forcing the issue.

 

[HarmonK03]

9 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Duran and Jax both had 2 1/2 years left not 1 1/2.  Trading away every decent RP on your team sure as hell is not an indication you are trying to contend.  What were they trying to do with these moves trading for Abel , Rojas, and Bradley who had 4+ years of control if not rebuild?   Falvey was removed because he and Tom Pohlad did not agree on direction.  Pohlad wanted to go for it.  Can we read between the lines and conclude Falvey wanted to continue the rebuild.  Is there another direction other than try to contend or rebuild?  

Tendering Larnach tells us nothing.   Maybe he thought he could get a prearb RP for him which would have saved money and filled a need.  More likely, he believed Jenkins and Rodriguez were near ready, and he could eventually move Larnach to a 4th OF spot or out of the organization.  That would not only be consistent with a rebuild strategy it would allow the team to time promotions with readiness as opposed to forcing the issue.

 

Let me restate, in my opinion they were not in a rebuild, we do not know the conversations between Falvey and Tom P.

What we do know is when Falvey left it was clearly reported that he was not happy with having the business operations duties that he had been given a year earlier taken away.  He felt one person could oversee both business and baseball operations even though the Twins have never operated that way.  The only reason he was given the business operations was St. Peter stepped down and the team was for sale.  They were not going to bring someone new into that business with ownership still in question.

What I do know is Falvey never appeared to have a clear plan and he did not value younger players.  So to me a rebuild was more of a retool.

 

[shimrod]

18 hours ago, HarmonK03 said:

Other than a couple of teams every team is trying to maximize profit, they don't have an open checkbook.

Yes, most teams work within their budget. Aside from the occasional new owner who subsidizes the payroll with his own cash (Mets) expenses have to match up with revenue. 

What's done with the revenue is the difference. Are you trying to build a winner or are you maximizing cash flow? Long term vision or short term profit? I don't think many experienced baseball executives are interested in the latter. Twins ownership has already signaled they're looking at the short term. I don't see a proven executive signing on just to boost the teams sale price. 

[Bodie]

On 8/28/2026 at 4:04 PM, ashbury said:

Your periodic reminder that last year after an equivalent number of games the Twins were 61-73. 

64-70 this year is a helluva anything?

One is watchable. 

One wasn't.