Mr. Brooks

Why would that mean we are in serious trouble? $16 million is almost 20% of a likely 2021 budget. Of course that is going to make a difference.

Not really. Buxton will be ARB 3 in 2021, and Berrios will be ARB 2. The whole point of an extension, from a player's perspective is that they give up a couple of years of free agency to essentially guarantee their ARB salaries. They might give up a couple million for the sake of security, but it's not like they are going to play their ARB 3 year for a million bucks. I'd imagine $20 million combined for 2021 if they are extended.

I'd think Gordon and Enlow should be enough to get it done. Thoughts on that package? Is that enough? Would you part with those two for a reliever? I think I'd do it, but it'd sting a little, which means it's probably fair.

Because some of us have accepted the fact the FO operates under a budget, and always will. Money spent on Kimbrel doesn't ONLY come out of Jim Pohlad's pocket, it also comes out of the payroll budget for each season that he's signed for. For a mid-budget team, $16 million is a lot of money to allocate to one relief pitcher. I'm not saying that means you automatically pass on it. But, the reality is that the FO does have to weigh the impact that salary has on future payrolls. I imagine the FO has a rough outline of short, medium, and long term payroll spreadsheets, and they just decided that this would be too likely to negatively impact those down the road. You'd think the second best record in baseball would at least buy this FO the benefit of the doubt until the trade deadline comes to see how they address this bullpen. I can't imagine they won't address it at some point. And if they don't, they'll rightfully lose that benefit of the doubt then.

And giving you a free Tesla isn't going to cripple Elon Musk. Do you go online demanding that Elon Musk give you a free Tesla? The point, the ENTIRE point of business is to maximize profits. Not, make some profit, but make the most profit that the market will bear. This is how every successful business has been run in the history of capitalism. I just don't understand why people expect sports franchises to somehow be different.

What if they decided that there might be times that Kimbrel would be more useful in innings other than the ninth? If Kimbrel is demanding that he be allowed to make managerial decisions, then I wouldn't want him for the league minimum.

They aren't trying to win because they didn't sign the player you want? They have the second best record in baseball, and still have 7 weeks to add bullpen help.

Even those approval ratings that he's fallen to since his inauguration, are still even with, or better than his likeability ratings pre election. He can be elected with approvals in the high 30's or low 40's.

It's not a documentary, and isn't presented as if it's a documentary.

I've never believed that the Twins are suddenly going to see some magical increase in payroll spending. I'd love to be wrong though. I think these guys have a hard budget, no matter how many times they or anyone else falls on the sword and says something like, "we just have to ask for more and it's there".

What's the rush? They need guys that can help them come postseason. They don't really need any help getting there. I know anything can technically happen, but the division is practically locked up.

They aren't extending Berrios as team friendly as they were able to do Polanco and Kepler. And likely not Buxton either. Those two are going to get very expensive if you want to lock them up long term. They also likely will need to re-sign one or both of Odorizzi and Gibson. I don't see any possible way they afford Kimbrel in 2021 without it impacting one or more of our core.

Which franchises are not run like a business?

I think what we are going to see from this FO, and a lot of fans probably won't like it, is them placing a value on players and not going over that. I'm fine with that. They have a budget that they have to operate under, whether we like it or not. Beating the Cubs offer, for 3 or 4 years, would have likely meant not being able to keep a current member of the core. I think at 1 or even 2 years they'd have gone hard after him, but that third year is when this core is going to really start getting expensive. Kimbrel eating $16 million in 2021 would have made for some really difficult decisions. We have the prospect depth to get someone as good or better than Kimbrel, I expect we'll see a move or two come deadline time.

Why would the Cubs sign Kimbrel, then turn around and sell on Morrow?

Yeah people typically don't like being lied to. That's a pretty good way to lose the benefit of the doubt with people.

Yesterday he was 19... in high A. Yesterday he was young like your examples, today he's old?

Best of luck to Mr. Carrasco. Hopefully it's nothing major.

By the law in Florida he likely did commit a crime. This was an incredibly thorough and exhaustive investigation by an independent agency that led to these charges. They weren't filed willy nilly, or as an emotional decision. When you take the job as police officer, at least by Florida law, attempting to take action in a situation like this is not optional. Children are dead because he didn't do his job, a job he took a legal oath to do. I do feel sympathy for him, I'm sure he's haunted by this. But that doesn't release him from his legal culpability. We're all responsible for our actions, or in his case, inaction.

I think it would have been our second round pick. I believe the rule is that you forfeit your third draft pick, not necessarily third round.

Fair, but the high cost of free agency is a penalty for the inability to develop your own player. I'm not really saying that he's been worth that much so far, just that he hasn't been awful.

It's 17 points above league average, which is well above average for SS's. He also plays half his games in an extreme pitcher's park. His OPS away from Petco is .853.

Pineda is eligible to return on Thursday.

I recieved universal pushback here when I suggested that the police officer who did nothing during the Parkland shooting should potentially be held liable. Today, he's been charged with 11 counts, including child neglect, culpable negligence, and perjury. He's facing a maximum of 100 years in prison. [Florida deputy charged after staying outside during Parkland school shooting] http://va.topbuzz.com/s/QRrrxb Some excerpts: -The charges follow a 14-month investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which conducted interviews with 184 witnesses, reviewed hours of surveillance videos and compiled 212 investigative reports, the agency said. -Peterson "did absolutely nothing to mitigate" the shooting, FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen said in a statement. "There can be no excuse for his complete inaction and no question that his inaction cost lives." -Lori Alhadeff, whose 14-year-old daughter, Alyssa, was killed, said she was surprised to hear of Peterson's arrest. She recalled sending a text to her daughter when she heard there was shooting. "I told her to hide, that help was on the way. Well, Peterson was that help, but he froze, and he failed us all that day," Alhadeff said. "He was supposedly the good guy with the gun who was supposed to go in and meet the threat, and he let us all down." -David S. Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, said key to the case will be the culpable negligence charge, which essentially means an "utter disregard for the safety of others." "They are focusing on the care he was required to give to the students as a caregiver who was responsible for their welfare," Weinstein added. -The perjury charge stems from a statement Peterson gave under oath to investigators contending that he did not hear any shots fired after taking up his position outside the school. Investigators determined through video, witnesses and other evidence that was not true.

Each team has a bonus pool allotment. That is the maximum that they are allowed to spend signing draft picks. The Twins will spend their entire draft pool allotment, how is that being cheap? They may not allocate the money to the player that you want them to, but they are still spending it.