The Twins Have Failed Josh Donaldson

11 minutes ago, cHawk said:

With that logic you’re trying to build a fantasy team. You’re ignoring a lot of things. The Pohlads have said they are willing to increase payroll, yet it never happens. Do you really think Falvey and Levine want to spend less money? I find that really hard to believe. If you expected them to go get Cole or Strasburg, you set yourself up to be disappointed. It was never going to happen.

Why was Target Field built? So this organization could compete for the best talent available. Yet they continue to be bottom feeders. Yes the Pohlads say the checkbook is open and the FO does not use it. Who's fault is that? The fans? I highly doubt the Pohlads are NOT making more than enough money to afford a top player or two in the Free Agent market when there are $100 tickets, $10 beers, $7 hotdogs, over-priced souveniers, not to mention the revenue from the Bally Sports network. Don't tell me that organizations like Detroit or Texas, which both signed top talent this year in Free Agency, have so much more revenue that they can afford it and the Twins can't. It is the fact that they choose not to. You have been led to believe that because the Twins have always been cheap that they can't change. Again, it is because they choose not to. Not because they can't.

I have always admired Donaldson as a player so I was cautiously optimistic when they signed him.  However, investing $22M in a free agent for 2.2 WAR is not exactly a problem but he is not a solution either.  2.2 WAR for $22M is underperforming and you are certainly hoping for more in the first 2 years when you sign a 34 y/o to a 4 year deal with a 5th year option that costs $16M or an $8M buyout.  I seriously doubt he will be worth $16M in 2024 so you really need to consider that cost as well.

Many here predicted this deal would bite us in the ass.  I fear they will be right if we hold on to him.  So, I am hoping he has a great first half and is dealt at the deadline even if it costs some retained salary.

I don't see this as the Twins "failing" Josh Donaldson. The first season they were exactly the kind of team that Donaldson thought he was joining: a very good one, a playoff contender, one that had a shot at a title. 2021 was a horrific season, not just because the Twins were bad, but because they were bad in a year where everyone, literally everyone, expected them to be good. They were picked by everyone to be contending for the AL Central title again, and many reputable people and projection systems had them winning it. Instead, injuries, poor play, bad starts, etc ruined the season.

Season 1 of this deal, Donaldson got hurt at the wrong time. Season 2, every coin flip went the wrong way, they got off to horrific start and the season went bad. The deal the Twins made, they were going for it in the first two years of that contract, the expectation was "get all the value you can in the first two years, the second two a risk-filled". They made the playoffs in season 1 and Donaldson wasn't available to play because of injury. Season 2 it went bad. So who "failed" who?

We're heading into season three and we don't know how this team is going to go. Right now, it doesn't look like it has the pitching to contend, but a) we don't know how this roster will end up, and b) we don't know how the young pitchers are going to actually do. The lineup is definitely good enough to contend, and frankly the bullpen is probably good enough as well. 

"Failure"? Meh. Hasn't worked out like anyone planned or hoped, but it's hard to say it was a failure for anyone. Twins lined it up and got it right in the first year of Donaldson's contract (and then Donaldson was hurt when they needed his bat the most...did he "fail"?) and didn't in year two (but none of their bets were ridiculous. I'm sorry, anyone who says they knew Colome was going to be a trash fire to start the season is lying). Year three is still to be written.

Strange premise...that the Twins owe him something besides a paycheck.

If you argued that the team was somehow holding him back or making his performance or health worse, I'd understand the concept. But instead you say he's more or less living up to expectations. I don't get it.

Donaldson had a decent year in 2021, but he is not worth the money he is being paid. The team finished last with or without him. The FO made a mistake by signing him instead of investing in pitching in the first place.

For those thinking they should have spent money on pitching instead of Donaldson (which I tend to agree with but not sure who those pitchers are?), which pitcher haven't they been able to afford because of him and what pitchers should they have signed instead of him?

The Twins aren't trading Donaldson any time soon, if they do it shows they are rebuilding again after saying that wasn't the case, they aren't eating the amount that would be needed to get anything decent back. (Imagine for a minute they trade him and have to eat 10 million for a couple of really young prospects, if they Twins have 10 million to spend on prospects I would prefer that would be on international ones), and finally because it makes the FO looks stupid for signing him in the first place.

The front office pretty much got screwed because of all the injuries to to the pitching prospects, then decided it would be better to let vets pitch at the end of the season instead of putting the prospects on the 40 man or using service time without knowing how the labor dispute would go. (that may turn out to be a great decision because they can be working with a few of them in the mean time), but the problem is and was why are all of their prospects getting hurt?

The problem is and continues to be the Bullpen and mow the starting rotation.

Donaldson has played fine and brought a passion and fire for the game. Problem is we can't afford him know with all the dire pitching needs.

Resign Cruz at 12-15 M and bring up Miranda and your veteran leadership and 3rd base positions are solved for far less money.

Maybe we can tell Sano he has been traded to the Red Sox and he morphs into David Ortiz?

What we got for Berrios, may or may not come to fruition. Meanwhile a #2 starter, let alone a #1 starter will cost us a lot more on the open market than Berrios would have.

Do we really need 3 quasi SS/OF prospects instead of a proven pitcher like Berrios? NO!!!

Have the Twins forgotten that there us a draft every year and new prospects to be had?

This team could sign 60M worth of pitching for next year and still suck.

This is a deep hole they find themselves in.