Robinson Cano

[nicksaviking]

Question: What if Illitch doesn't die?

 

Then you stab him in the heart with a wooden stake. Unless you're into this new age vampire BS that teen girls and my wife read about. I'm not sure how you kill those rediculous things.

[Major League Ready]

Exactly...that was my whole point...the percentage of payroll for their highest paid player is irrelevant compared to percentage of payroll for our highest paid player. Those teams are on a different spending level, so why even mention them in the first place to make your point? How about instead of looking at the top paid player percentage of payroll, look at top 3 players and the total percentage of payroll? Cause our top paid guy makes 23, then our next guy makes 7 then our next guy makes around 5. That could be like 33% of what payroll should be.

 

On a side note, I wonder how incoming revenue (affecting available payroll) would be affected if Mauer hadn't signed here? I wonder how much of his salary is paid by the fact he's on the team...in tickets sales (and corresponding parking, concessions), merchandise, etc?

 

BTW, I'm not in the sign Cano lane...I'm way away from that lane.

 

All elite players drive revenue but I think Mauer might have a bit more impact being a hometown boy. He was a better risk given his age and body type. He is going to be 35 at the end of his contract. Who knows, he could have problems like Morneau but I like our odds with him better than a guy who will be 39 or 41 if Cano gets what he wants in terms of years. Prince is a surprising athlete given his build but I could see him being a roster problem for 3-4 years. I would love to see the Tigers sign Cano to a 9 or 10 year deal. They will be really tough for 2-3 more years (while our young guys are entering the leauge) and the Twins will not have to worry about them for a few years.

[JB_Iowa]

Exactly...that was my whole point...the percentage of payroll for their highest paid player is irrelevant compared to percentage of payroll for our highest paid player. Those teams are on a different spending level, so why even mention them in the first place to make your point? How about instead of looking at the top paid player percentage of payroll, look at top 3 players and the total percentage of payroll? Cause our top paid guy makes 23, then our next guy makes 7 then our next guy makes around 5. That could be like 33% of what payroll should be.

 

On a side note, I wonder how incoming revenue (affecting available payroll) would be affected if Mauer hadn't signed here? I wonder how much of his salary is paid by the fact he's on the team...in tickets sales (and corresponding parking, concessions), merchandise, etc?

 

BTW, I'm not in the sign Cano lane...I'm way away from that lane.

 

Well, until late August, The Twins' 2nd highest paid player made what $14 or $15 million? That would be about 45% of payroll devoted to 2 players. Without going back through a lot of data, I have no idea of what teams would have 2 players eating up that much payroll but I'm guessing it is pretty rare.

 

And it looks to me that if the Twins were to sign Cano, it would stay at about that 45% level (assuming a $100m payroll).

 

As for Mauer, I have always maintained that his contract was a business decision that had to be made. I didn't care for it for the long-term baseball interests of the Twins but I got why they signed him and I'm sure that his mere presence drives sales of merchandise and tickets (especially in good times although the % of revenue attributable to him from those items may actually be higher in bad times).

 

This isn't about Mauer. This is about whether the Twins should add a contract of almost that magnitude for a position player, Cano. I just can't see it working out.

[ThePuck]

Well, until late August, The Twins' 2nd highest paid player made what $14 or $15 million? That would be about 45% of payroll devoted to 2 players. Without going back through a lot of data, I have no idea of what teams would have 2 players eating up that much payroll but I'm guessing it is pretty rare.

 

And it looks to me that if the Twins were to sign Cano, it would stay at about that 45% level (assuming a $100m payroll).

 

As for Mauer, I have always maintained that his contract was a business decision that had to be made. I didn't care for it for the long-term baseball interests of the Twins but I got why they signed him and I'm sure that his mere presence drives sales of merchandise and tickets (especially in good times although the % of revenue attributable to him from those items may actually be higher in bad times).

 

This isn't about Mauer. This is about whether the Twins should add a contract of almost that magnitude for a position player, Cano. I just can't see it working out.

 

Not sure it was 45%, but if it was it was because payroll was lower than it needed to be...anyway.

 

Okay...how about in the unbelievably hypothetical world where Kershaw was suddenly available? He's going to cost some coin. Don't sign him if we have the money available? I understand he's a pitcher and you said position player, but that would take about make close to half of payroll for two guys.

[JB_Iowa]

Not sure it was 45%, but if it was it was because payroll was lower than it needed to be...anyway.

 

Okay...how about in the unbelievably hypothetical world where Kershaw was suddenly available? He's going to cost some coin. Don't sign him if we have the money available? I understand he's a pitcher and you said position player, but that would take about 1/3

 

I'd sign him (of course, we're in hypothetical la-la-land).

 

I may not have said it in my last post but in one of my earlier posts, I thought I made it clear that if the Twins were going to devote that high a percentage to a second player, I thought it had to be for pitching. I just can't see it for another position player at this point.

 

I still gulp to think of that high a % spent for 2 players but the Twins do have young prospects who won't be due for their big pay raises until about the end of Mauer's contract.

 

It's a balancing act, I realize that. And it does point out why most of your talent has to be home-grown and cost-controlled.

 

 

(I also strongly believe that the starting pitcher needs to bring some veteran leadership. Not sure that Kershaw is quite at that point but I firmly believe in players learning from other players and you have to start at some point with a high quality starting pitcher.)

[kab21]

If the Twins were even remotely close to the position that the Tigers are currently I would love for them to sign a guy like Cano and I wouldn't care about the 2nd half of the contract. But that's the whole point of signing elite players to mega contracts. The team needs to be able to take advantage of the first half of the contract when that player is elite. The Tigers could be a mini dynastry with Cabrera, Fielder and Cano in the lineup and Verlander, Scherzer, Sanchez and Fister in the rotation.

[Guest USAFChief]

 

Financially the Twins can't compete with the Tigers (even without their added incentive to win a World Series for Illitch).

According to Forbes, Twins revenues were in the $214M range, the Tigers $238M.

 

I think it's possibly more that the Twins choose not to compete financially with the Tigers than can't.

[JB_Iowa]

According to Forbes, Twins revenues were in the $214M range, the Tigers $238M.

 

I think it's possibly more that the Twins choose not to compete financially with the Tigers than can't.

 

In fairness, I don't think most teams would sport a $184m payroll on $238m in revenues (although I would guess their revenues may be a little higher now).

 

Illitch is definitely willing to finance a team that could win the Series.

[kab21]

In fairness, I don't think most teams would sport a $184m payroll on $238m in revenues (although I would guess their revenues may be a little higher now).

 

Illitch is definitely willing to finance a team that could win the Series.

 

In fairness let's use the correct numbers. 148M.

[JB_Iowa]

In fairness let's use the correct numbers. 148M.

 

Oops, sorry. Should never do things from memory.

 

I'm still not sure that most teams spend 62% on salary although that still leaves them about 90 million for the rest of the operation and profit (probably more than that because it seems like the reports on revenue numbers still run a little behind the payroll numbers).