I've been reading The Magical Game by Addy Baird, and she makes an excellent point that I think applies a lot to our Twins:
"The front office has kind of said, 'We're pretty happy when the team contends but doesn't win, because winning means everybody's salaries go up. As long as we're contending, the fans won't go away. We'll pack the stadium. But if we win, it's just an extra expense."
Perhaps the "pack the stadium" bit is a stretch, but I wouldn't argue about cheapness being a factor...