The Table Setter, Feb. 6, 2024: Keep Your Witts About You, Junior

The Twins are doubtful to sign anyone long-term because they don't have a long-term TV deal. They don't want to take the risk that people stop watching baseball on television completely or a meteor destroys Target Field. That could cause future financial distress like having to borrow $1M from their own bank, paying it back with interest paid for by Minneapolis taxpayers.

I like that the Royals are putting real effort into fixing their team.  Their player development only got a few players developed with too many failing.  It’s good for their fans too.  They should have more young talent then they do but atleast they lock theirs up.  I guess they recognize that this wave isn’t going to get them over the top but they are trying to see if they can squeak into the playoffs and see what happens atleast once with this current group of players.

Agree with Dman, an extension for Royce Lewis is premature. I also don't believe we can compare Lewis to Witt Jr. I get the excitement and strenuous wishing for Royce to have an All Star season because I sure hope he does .... this year. We might be projecting a little much for our third baseman.

18 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I like that the Royals are putting real effort into fixing their team.  Their player development only got a few players developed with too many failing.  It’s good for their fans too.  They should have more young talent then they do but atleast they lock theirs up.  I guess they recognize that this wave isn’t going to get them over the top but they are trying to see if they can squeak into the playoffs and see what happens atleast once with this current group of players.

Let’s not go overboard on the sudden munificence of KC’s ownership. They have a big vote coming up on increased sales taxes to fund a new downtown stadium.  Sound familiar? Witt=Mauer.  It’s a business model that the small/mid market teams see fit to apply every 25 years or so. Nothing wrong with that - I’m glad the Twins did it; smart move. 

9 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Let’s not go overboard on the sudden munificence of KC’s ownership. They have a big vote coming up on increased sales taxes to fund a new downtown stadium.  Sound familiar? Witt=Mauer.  It’s a business model that the small/mid market teams see fit to apply every 25 years or so. Nothing wrong with that - I’m glad the Twins did it; smart move. 

Good comparison, Witt Jr. - Mauer, even if Mauer was substantially more established and close to free agency.

The entire conversation about the potential new stadium for the Kansas City royals is hard to pin down in terms of numbers. I have read five separate articles with different numbers of cost and ownership contribution. The owner would like a swath of area to develop similar to what occurred in Atlanta. Why wouldn't he? The owner has allegedly been said to promise $200-350 million toward the stadium with taxes paying the remainder. When one takes into consideration a 40 year payment plan, the owner's payments of $5-9 million a year seem laughable in consideration of the annual value accrued by him. Whatever, let the voter's decide. At least if the citizens vote for the tax it is a fair deal unlike the charade unfolding in Las Vegas.

I don't think Boras would go for it. He bets on his players, and will want to see a couple big years. Then he will go for the big bucks. Don't think the Twins should do it until he shows some durability.

Most complete player I've seen since Puckett. Two fluke injuries shouldn't scare off signing him long term now. Wait and Boras knows the LA and NY teams are drooling with their checkbooks open.

I am also in the camp of "it's too soon to extend" Royce Lewis. Both Royce Lewis and Bobby Witt are special talents, but Witt is a full year younger than Lewis and went from a 20 HR/30 SB rookie year to a monstrous 30HR/49 SB sophomore campaign. Witt has already chalked up over 1,300 plate appearances in the big leagues while being very durable, playing in 150 & 158 games in his two seasons. Lewis has "sky-is-the-limit" potential, and had a breakout half-season last year, but he only has 280 total big league plate appearances and has played a total of only 70 games due to injury, which is a concern. In my experience, players who are injury-prone tend to remain injury prone, and freakish injuries or not, in his career Lewis has certainly been bitten by the injury bug. If Lewis can play a full season without a major injury and continue to put up numbers like he did last year, an extension might certainly be justified, but for now -- I want to see Lewis make a believer out of me in 2024.