farmerguychris

I'm hopeful they can develop him to replace Castro either this, or next year - depending on how much salary they are looking to slash. The rookie version of Castro with Detroit wasn't any good either and look at him now.

Sorry, but disagree. Should we keep him - Sure. Should we have a reasonable 2025 MLB Team Salary - also Sure! Fact is, the money is better invested in full time roles instead of a part time one with a replacement at minimum salary already on the roster. Jefferies has had 2 years to learn under Vazquez's leadership - I hope he has because we need to use that $10M elsewhere if we want to be in the race for the AL Central next year.

I hate these threads that talk about trading proven players under control, who are being underpaid for their value - just because the rich owners aren't rich enough (in their minds) so they need to save money and make fans unhappy. I know its the reality of where we are with these owners, but i really just dislike it even has to be discussed. What a bunch of crap.

If they trade him, to me it demonstrates that they aren't even trying. If ownership (whoever that is) isn't invested in their team - why should I be?

When looking back, I sincerely believe they simply looked at the team as an investment. Nothing more, nothing less - if we win, great, but if we make a lot of money - now there's something to be happy about. Hopefully the next owner recognizes the potential to do more than just increase their net worth and really cares about winning, demonstrated by their investment in the team.

Knowing how important the almighty dollars is to this ownership group, as excited as we are today that they are open to selling, I would not be shocked if they take it off the market if they're not getting the price they feel they deserve. That could mean really time to lower payroll?

I would expect Carlos would at least consider waiving his no-trade clause.... based on who buys the team (I expect he'd wait and see for that first). I got the impression the FO would respect and consider his input on decisions, but that didn't seem to happen much once they decided to not spend any money. He even gave them a list of possible pitching trade targets at the deadline - think Richards was on it? I bet not. He's in the middle of his career, and the current owners probably wish they never would have signed him. I'm still hopeful a new owner will inject money into the team, and he'll want to be here.

Come on Mark Cuban - how about a house up north?

It looks like I'm in the minority here, but I like it. Need to get rid of Vazquez's salary if we want to improve any other position. Jax isn't likley to get any better than he is now. Would be nice to get a 4th OF who can cover CF. I see now way we are going to improve unless we trade away players we like - like Jax.

I predict we will become a stars and scrubs lineup based around what contracts we can move. I expect to have Buxton and Correa continue to be part of the team based solely on their no-trade clauses. Pablo has no such clause (that I am aware of), so he's traded for 2 pitchers with 'future potential', Lewis will be also traded for playes currently in AA as they continue to try and be the Rays by trading players just as they hit their prime, and more importantly - get good sized payroll increases. I predict they will keep Vazquez simply because they will refuse to pay any of his salary to get rid of him. Lastly, I predict many of our impending arbitration players will find themselves playing elsewhere next season. I anticipate the owners trying to make up some of the 'losses' they had the past 2 years and the best way to save is to cut payroll everywhere they can. It doesn't matter if they win, as long as they make money.

Sure there are consequences - just not the kind that the fans care about. There are consequences for not making enough money (the Pohlad's only priority), payroll cuts and Front Office jobs left vacant.

Why stop at the Front Office. I bet Rocco can still catch 'some' fly balls to the outfield- bring back the Player/Manager We certainly don't need live organ music when they can just turn on the radio - that will save a few hundred bucks a game. What about shutting off the lights during day games? I'm sure those balls the pitcher sends back because they don't like the feel? Have the ump toss the same ball right back to the pitcher - gotta get their monies worth out of those baseballs right? If we've going to go cheap - then darn it, lets really go cheap. Oh, and revenues to make up for no more TV contracts ? Advertising - EVERYWHERE. Think maybe I have a shot at the GM role under this ownership?

I gotta say that as a professional, if my owners are limiting my ability to be the best I can be - I would consider leaving as well. The recently reimposed spending restrictions would certainly make me reconsider staying on if others can provide me with better opportunities to succeed. Take 'baseball' out of it and look at it as simply an executive role.

Why would he WANT to stay in Minnesota? Seems like ownership gave him the resources to do his job for the first few years, and then last year basically - changed their mind, and went back to the Carl Pohlad style of ownership with profits before winning. Just like any other job, wouldn't you think he'd have to seriously consider other offers if the new team would do a better job of giving him the tools to be successful?

I think it is more likley that they extend Rocco compared to letting him go. He is doing what this F.O. wants him to do - make analytical decisions. The only way I see him losing his job is if they need someone to blame and he becomes the target. My vote for where the blame should go is to the top by 'right sizing' the business. But we can't fire them.

I don't think he's played his way out of being part of our future for one reason- he's cheap. Until he becomes arbitration eligible he won't take up much payroll, and isn't that one of the most attractive things to this ownership group in a player?

I am starting to really believe that the philosophy of ownership is something like "Hey- if we win, great! But as long as we show as much profit as possible, thats the real goal". They signed players like Pablo, Buxton, and CC, but I'm pretty sure if they had to do those over again - they would defer. Maybe Joe talked them into it - try to make a splash as the new guy leading the team and see if profits followed - but when it failed, need to get that money made up, which is what we're doing now as best they can. Just stinks to be a fan.....hopes had gotten higher the past couple of years.

The message to me seems pretty clear . Our playoffs have begun. You don't rest players in the playoffs, and you can't rest them now either.

Managers get too much credit when things go well, and too much criticism when things go bad. One significant fact that most casual fans don't seem to realize is that Rocco doesn't get to pick which players are on his roster - thats what the FO does. Rocco just has to make the best of what he's given on a game to game basis. If someone is hurt - thats also not his fault, but his ability to manage the team, often without the best and most expensive players is what he's being judged by. As far as the topic of batting order.... Do we really think professional ball players suddenly can't hit that day when they find themselves batting 7th instead of 3rd like they were the day before? I think Rocco's fine. I generally think the FO is also fine. But - the reason we aren't flying into the post season is the decision to not spend money to stay competitive after a successful 2023 campaign. Are there any managers who could run away with the division with the hand (players and injuries) that Rocco's been dealt? I don't think so. Lastly - if Rocco's going to be replaced by this FO, he's only going to be replaced by someone else who manages by analytics. Get used to it because thats not going away and it is the future of basebal (and all sports), like it or not.

Why? Because ownership is requiring them to have a scrubs and stars type of team due to the contracts on the books and the payroll limits? How is this on the FO? I predict this team will be Lopez, Buxton, Correa and a bunch of min salary players within a couple of years to 'right size the payroll'. Sucks - but just what I anticipate.

We all know that Twins ownership seems to be acting more and more like the Tampa Bay baseball team that has been year in and year out a contender despite having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball annually. We already have a host of former Rays in our offices as well as a Manager in Rocco that was involved in the day to day operations for the Rays front office himself. With the recent comments by ownership saying we need to 'right size' our payroll, it lead me to wonder - are there other ideas they would like to emulate from the Rays? Here is the one that comes to mind that would bother me the most: The possibility to trading young stars, year in and year out, right as they are starting to get expensive, in exchange for future prospects. I hate the idea of seeing players such as Royce Lewis play his way into Twins Fans hearts with both his play, and his personality become the face of a different franchise simply because we don't want to pay him what he's worth. A lot of us get hyped to see how our top prospects such as Walner, Rodriguez, and Jenkins will do once they get to the big leagues. I hate the idea of following their progress from the draft to the majors only to them see them have their real success for the big spending teams. While I can't really argue that, while unconventional - the Rays system has, in fact, kept them competitive year in and year out more often than not. True, the don't seem to have a real fan base - but maybe with revenue sharing, the owners are happy to simply take their profits to the bank and live with a dissatisfied fan base. On the other hand however - lets be honest. They haven't won a world series using their style either. Do you think the Polads would try to become another Rays type of team? Look forward to your feedback.

Got him around the 9th round for my fantasy team - cut him last week. Not sure what is challenging him, but hope he can bounce back. When he's on fire, we all know what he can do.

Lee is one name I've seen quite a bit here on boards for being a player we can trade for immediate help. That is short sighted IMO. I think he has the highest floor of our farm system and trading him for a middle of the order bat, or another #2 starter would be short sighted. Excited to see what he can do when he's called up. Hope that back injury is a one time thing.

DFA Margot and call up Martin. Sure, he didn't look amazing in his prior call ups this year, but he's no worse than Margot and he can fill in other positions when needed. We know the Twins love positional flexibility so this gives us that without making us worse in any possible way.

When he plays, he's quickly becoming one of my favorite all time players - key words - when he plays. Hope the trainers can find a way to reduce some of these injuries and have him become our 3rd base for the next decade.