DocBauer

Phenomenal article. Thanks for sharing. I was not privy to the information regarding loopholes several teams can manipulate to their financial benefit. Those have to be closed for the good of the game and it's future. But billionaire owners also shouldn't be paying other billionaire owners to make no attempt at a viable product and merely pocket the shared venue $ as a form of billionaire welfare. The NFL has more balanced revenue sharing and a cap. But they don't have a hars floor. Teams must have a payroll floor based on a % of the cap itself, but it's fluid over...IIRC...a 3 year period. Something along the lines of a 75% minimum but you can spend less for a 2yr period. This is intended for teams that suddenly get old or lose players to FA and need to re-build. At least in theory. MLB needs to close ridiculous loopholes as presented in the article. They need a more balanced revenue sharing, which should be easier with said loopholes closed. After that, they either need a cap, or higher tax penalties for those "super spending" teams. But they also need some sort of mandated floor or incentive based plan for those bottom feeding, welfare teams to spend. Absolutely ridiculous billionaire owners are being forced to subsidize other billionaires to the detriment of MLB as a whole. The TOP teams won't like part of this. The BOTTOM teams won't like part of this. SOME of the TOP players might make a little less with these changes. But the lower and middle class players across the league will probably see an actual increase in their income. Fans will have a greater interest as more teams will have a better, more balanced playing field on which to compete. The game will be stronger as a whole. That should also lead to growth. More fan interest and more growth means more $ coming in for teams and the league collectively. I've been saying almost these exact same things for a couple years now, though I'm no expert on the details of how to put this all together. But for the good and growth of the game, the solution is very obvious. Unfortunately, what seems "obvious" for both sides is an attempt to "beat" the other side versus doing what's best overall for everyone.

Gotta find a backup catcher from somewhere. Hopefully that's just around $3M. If the budget had enough room for an inexpensive, veteran glove man for a utility spot, I wouldn't object. Right now, Fitzgerald is probably the #1 option and while it could be worse, that's also not great. The whole "just get someone cheap every year to play 1B wnd just cross your fingers" is getting beyond frustrating. As well as ridiculous. Currently, the unproven Fedko and Roden have some 1B experience. Young Mendez is going to get some opportunity at 1B, but he's only just started. Amick has a chance to be a solid candidate. But we're basically talking about rookies and AA prospects. So personally, I'm OK with one more year of the 1B carousel in hopes of actually finding a couple internal options by 2027. I like that option better than utility man Clemens or just open auditions for the prospect that would stink the least. But if they go the FA route...versus trade or immediate conversion...it's got to be someone better than France. But other than that, on the position side, it should be existing players and prospects, prospects, and prospects.

I really liked the potential Festa showed in 2024. For the most part, he took a step back last season, but his shoulder was seemingly never 100%. At least not past the first month or so when he went on the Saints IL with "tired arm" syndrom. But so far, in what is still a SSS, he's had a tough time getting past the 5th inning. With his build, and with the shoulder issues he had last season, I really think his future is in the pen. I can easily see him as a late inning, power, high K arm and maybe a potential closer. In theory, the rotation currently has options that include: Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, Bradley, Matthews, Abel, Morris with Prielipp, Rojas, CJ Culpepper and others at least slightly behind them. And that's me assuming Lewis, Raya, and Klein all moving to a pen role. There SHOULD be enough depth/talent to place Festa in the pen. And it just might be where he's beat suited.

There's 3 or 4 LH options I like better than Milner, and they shouldn't cost a lot more. (Coulombe, Rogers, Chaffin, and maybe Thielbar). But this is the direction not only available to the Twins, but probably the only real path open to them. And these RH options may or may not be on the Twins radar. They may or may not be smart choices. But this does go to show there are arms like this out there that could be smart, 1yr options as bridge arms for 2026. They need bodies, hopefully of some quality. And those veteran options keep the team from continuing to blow games. And those veteran options provide that bridge while the younger, internal arms gain some experience. It's a question of the FO/scouts making the smart/right choices.

Ugh. No. May as a $4-5M pen arm only. I don't care about his potential as a SP. If he can't stay on the field, it's time to try something else. Maybe he's just destined to be a RP. Of all the young starters they've collected, where would May fit anyway? No way the Twins pay that kind of $ for a fragile rotation option. Hoskins? He could be a great comeback story. But after a really bad 2025 and a not so great 2024, and at age 33, he needs to be thinking $5-6M, maybe with some incentives, to prove he's not over and done.

I'm with you. While always a deep follower of the MILB system, I'm almost to the point on putting my focus there for 2026 more than ever. The problem is, we also probably get to see 5 or maybe even 6 of the Twins best prospects debuting sometime in 2026. Added insult to injury, I've been a fan for over 50yrs as a recently turned 60yo. So I'm kind of screwed when it comes to apathy in regard to the ML team.

(Fingers in ears) Yadav yada yada. Man, I get it. But I all about a WAY LOWER than average ML payroll of around $120M-ish where we have a little over $30M to make a handful of smart additions, trust a new day and a new staff will get the most out of Lewis, Buxton, Jeffers, Wallner, Lee, Keaschall, etc, and welcome in Rodriguez, Jenkins, Culpepper, and Gonzalez at some point in 2026 and do the best to build an acceptable, average bullpen with a few conversion arms that might help later in the season. I don't believe in just "giving up" when I see a solid base in place for my team. High quality SP is the hardest thing to find. The Twins have at least some of that. So until I hear some ridiculous payroll number, I'm going to be "that guy" who isn't willing to give up on a RE-TOOL vs RE-BUILD.

Run another 250 or 500, or whatever, and STOP when we have the #1 or #2 pick? We need Kharma!! 😃

Hopefully Amick now starts to RAKE. But I suspect he's playing with his stance and approach to find his previous power while not losing the improvements he made last year in his contact numbers. Winokur, still so young, keeps producing runs despite his actual AVG. I remain a bit surprised he was sent to the AFL. But doing so tells me a couple different things. 1] Despite amazing athleticism and some amazing plays, they want to see him a little more at SS before 2026 begins. 2] Whether he's actually working on something in particular as a hitter or not, they want to see him against a higher level of pitching before 2026 begins. While the AFL doesn't often feature TOP pitching prospects, the arms there have generally been accepted as AA quality.

I don't disagree. But very few top pitching prospects go to the AFL. Teams generally give them a little rest break before they go the offseason Instruction League. The exception, of course, are for guys coming off injury and maybe they just want to see them get some innings in. I'd remind you about Kade Bragg for the Twins in last year's AFL. He was drafted in 2023 but was hurt and only got in to about 6 games in 2024. (Don't recall if that was pre or post injury). And he had a terrible AFL! But it provided an experience that springboard him to having an outstanding 2025 season at 3 levels, including AA, where he was again excellent. And he should be at St Paul to begin 2026. Boadas is in a similar position right now having missed so much time to injury. The velocity is there and general effectiveness is there, even if the control/command aren't yet.

I believe there is a path for a solid, competent bullpen. Not a great one. But one that can be solid/competent. I wouldn't move Matthews there yet. There's just too much potential still there after mixed results in 2025, which was basically a rookie year after a late looksee in 2024. But I'd remind everyone that I believe Bradley is out of options, as is SWR. So if Matthews turns a corner, or Abel suddenly takes off, Bradley might end up in the pen. But I'm not looking at any of them for the Day 1 pen. I'm also of the belief that Prielipp is sticking as a SP for now. And considering his still vast potential as a LH option, that's the smart play. Do let's look at how to try to build this solid/competent pen for 2026: FESTA has been largely dominant in his brief career once and even twice through a lineup. He probably hits 100mph in a 1 IP stint. He's also had some shoulder issues. His TOS issue was about as mild as could be hoped for. Let's hope that remains true. He's perfect for 1 IP 2-3 times a week. SANDS had a tremendous 2024. He then had a really mediocre 2025 before a series of really good performances over the last 2 months. Minus about a 7-10 stretch, he looked like his '24 self. He has the potential to be a key component. FUNDERBURK has flashed at times, but been terribly inconsistent. IIRC, part of his issue previously was against LH hitters. TWO MONTHS, even very good ones, doesn't mean he's figured it out. But those were a couple of very good months. TOPA as the 7th man in the pen, with experience, and a decent track record when healthy, is inexpensive, and not a bad option. But I'm sure not wanting him a setup role unless he re-discovers his 2023 season with Seattle. ADAMS, OHL, and LAWYERSON are 3 candidates for the rotating 8th spot in the pen. Neither Adams or Ohl have enough pure stuff for the rotation. But max velocity and good control for each could make them a potentially solid fit as 1 IP options. But for now, they are part of the shuttle to St Paul as the 8th man until they prove otherwise. And Lawyerson is, and has been throughout his MILB career, and effective middle man. So he's part of the "8th man" contingent for now. (Really wish they had brought up Laweryson earlier for a longer look last year). In theory, 5 spots are mostly filled. WHO ELSE MIGHT HELP: Unless I've imagined it or mis-read something, Lewis and Raya have already been moved to reliever status going forward. Both posses the arsenal to become effective relief options, but I'd be surprised if either was ready opening day. Rumors surrounding Klein...big, strong, good velocity and a nice assortment of pitches...might also be moved to the pen. I can see him being very effective there. And LH arm MacLeod also began the transition to the pen last year. But he was very inconsistent on his AAA arrival. And there was a surprising number of highly productive RP arms in AA this past season that should all hit St Paul this year. That's unusual. But these are all surprises, or later in 2026 options. So we still have 3 spots to fill effectively. COULOMBE, THIELBAR, ROGERS, and CHAFIN are ALL over 30yo and possibly coming to the close of their careers. In fact, I believe all 4 will be 35yo plus for 2026. But all 4 ALSO had solid seasons in 2025 and have had solid careers. I have a hard time believing any of them will get more than 1yr and $3-4M max. Take your pick. But ONE of them...hopefully picking the RIGHT one...gives the 2026 pen another solid LH arm Ideally, the budget allows for a couple solid, decent RH arms with some experience. I've heard mention of Devin Williams after a down season on a "make good" 1yr deal for $5M. That would be outstanding. But I don't see that happening. The list of possibilities is at least a page long. So I really have no clue who would really be a good target, or two, but even another Tyler Clippard or Sergio Romo type...preferably 2 of them...for around $3-4M could go a long way to just a decent, viable, experienced arm, or 2, to add depth, experience, and place holding while a couple other young arms develop throughout 2026. Of course you also bring in some invites on MILB deals. That's how the Twins got Stewart, Thielbar, and others in the past. Some helped for a season. Some helped more than that. But just as a reminder, Aguilera, Guardado, Trombley, Duffy, Duran, Jax, and Varland are only a handful of past and near present former "failed" starters who became excellent RP for the Twins. For some it happened immediately. For some it took a little longer. Will this pen be built overnight to something strong? That would be almost impossible. But with the arms on hand, 2 or 3 $3-4M FA, a flier or two, and working with the younger arms just begining their conversions to the pen, it's still possible to have a decent/solid pen for 2026. IMO.

OK, I don't mean his game performance against the Lions was anything special. He played a good, solid game with a couple of great throws that indicate his potential. And to be fair, some rust showed as there were a few off target throws that might have helped the offense put this game away had he been more on target. And it sure doesn't hurt having Jones back, Darrisaw in at LT for a whole game, and Allen and Hargrave are starting to make a difference. But didn't it appear the whole team just raised their game against the Lions? Could that be due to having their young QB back out there and performing well? It sure feels like he already has the respect of the team. No offense to Wentz. He did the best he could under some difficult circumstances. And I don't know that KOC has called games as well as he has in the past. Goodness knows the team has dealt with it's share of injuries thus far in 2025. But it sure looked to me as if the whole team had extra intensity and a different bounce in their steps in this one.

The Twins had the lead. Hrbek was an excellent 1B and I don't believe Rocco would want him out of the game. Additionally, Hrbek was a veteran hitter and a decent OB% guy for his career. And with Hrbek really being the only big threat from the LH side, I believe he would have been given a long runway in regard to facing LHP all season long. So no, I don't believe he would have been PH for.

Thanks Jamie! Between the podcasts and articles like this, it really helps to get to know these players so far ahead of time. But as you pointed out, we're still a LONG way from the next draft and a lot of things can and will change between now and then. As I recall, Skenes was a later 1st round option before his breakout year at LSU. Being the greedy fan that I am, of course I'd love Lady Luck being on our side and we win the #1 spot. But based on early expectations of talent available, and knowing how most drafts work, anywhere in the top 3 could provide a tremendous option.

Caratini would be an excellent choice. And there's a decent chance he's got a couple solid years left in him. But I don't think the $ will work. While he saw limited action in 2025, I can see McCann for 1yr in the $3M range, which is probably max for the Twins. He could be a valuable 30-35% games caught guy. I might add Elias Diaz to the list as well. He's had a solid career and was still an effective hitter in 2024. He bottomed out in 2025. The Padres, I believe, hold a $7M option for 2026 that I doubt they will pick up. Even though he'll be 35yo, I could see a rebound season from him on a 1yr deal.

No thought of a grade on my end. As already stated more than once, how about we actually see what he does on the job for a season first? Right now, I'm waiting to see what his staff looks like. He's probably not going to spend much time, if at all, as a hitting instructor. But can he assemble a good set of hitting coaches to work with current players, and those that will be debuting soon? Ask me this time in 2026 and I'll have a graded opinion.

Trading Ryan SHOULD bring back a ransom. I keep reading rumors from the BoSox about an OF and others, including their 1st round pick of Whitmore I think it is. And there other options presented. But I'm one who hates to speculate on trades. While an IMMEDIATE upgrade in the OF sounds enticing, do the Twins really need that? And yet another OF who may be great, but lack control? MAYBE I'm actually smarter than Falvey. But I'd be focused on a few adds, pushing the Pohlads for some $, and concentrate on my new manager and his coaching staff. I have a TON of talent on the arm side of things. My offense needs a leader and an adoptive approach because I have a TON of talent on hand and about to debut. My pitching staff needs to take what I have and raise it to another level. But did I hire a babysitter? Or did I hire someone who will work with me in the new distraction I see us taking place? Sorry, but screw trade BS. The Twins SHOULD be looking at what they can accomplish with improvement. NOT what they could save. Falvey, you SHOW ME a trade for Ryan that makes a difference and I will admit how damn smart you pretend to be.

Wes Johnson was built like a 5' 8" firey pitcher that would drill you old school fashion if you showed him up if you hit a HR off of him. And he brought that fire, it seemed, as a pitching coach. And for whatever reason he decided to bail on the Twins for LSU, and ultimately the TOP JOB at Georgia. Good for him I guess. But he left behind a quieter option in Maki that I'm not sure isn't as good of a coach, despite a different disposition. What I know about Colby Suggs is he's supposedly smart as hell, and started as a scout and numbers man. He's supposed to be a fast riser, so why not keep him. Ramirez has played all around the globe and has 16yrs in the Twins system. At the very least, he should be kept for experience and a Latin influence and interrepture, unless there is a better option in Shelton's way of thinking. Regardless of Maki sticking around or not...and I don't have any clue if there's a better man for the job or not...I absolutely LOVE the idea of Hawkins joining the staff. If he's actually ready to take this duty under his wings, he provides 21 seasons as a ML pitcher who failed as a starter and then carved out a tremendous career as a pen arm. Maki and the current Staff is a a strong maybe. Adding Hawkins, IMO, is a strong YES, no matter the rest of the staff.

LOVE to see you at 1B for 2026. 😝 We are almost always on the same boat, floating down the same river, peering in to the future success of the Twins with a deep sigh of contentment. 😝 The fact that Falvey, with all his smarts, can't work within his own system to find the next Morneau, or close to him, is complete incompetence IMO. I'm beginning to think the light is growing from DIM to brighter is starting to take place. But my goodness, do we need a genie ramp to rub to figure this out? It's the ONE SPOT where you just need a DECENT glove with a high quality BAT to improve the depth and quality of the lineup. A GOOD GLOVE is a major bonus for sure. If I'm not mistaken, Mientkiewicz wasn't a 1B when drafted. At least not exclusively. Morneau was actually a catcher when drafted. But Falvey, despite his intellect, can't seem to see the value of a quality, productive 1B within the confines of the system? That actually blows my mind. It's too late for Wallner, and Larnach, who is probably gone anyway. And maybe they weren't good choices to begin with. So now Mendez might be moving to 1B. But he's not playing there in the AFL so far. Fedko has SOME experience at 1B. So does Roden. How about converting Rosario to 1B at this point? Amick shouldn't be the ONLY option. Imagination vs desperation has made Arraez a 1B. It also made Solano a 1B. And on their own, they did OK with their brief appearances there. But imagination vs desperation should start to end in 2027. Yes, I said 2027. Sometimes change doesn't happen overnight. Like you, I'm tired of 1yr rentals for a position that should easily be handled internally. But I'm OK for one more year until Falvey pulls his head out of his bunghole to FIX 1B internally.

Ugh! Don't we ALWAYS hear about lists like this early offseason? And we've ALREADY heard speculation about all 3 for months now, and the season only concluded a day ago. What does moving Jeffers do for a team that already has questions about his backup? I guess we're just punting away the entire 2026 season with various cartoons to fill a spot. Ryan, super talented and cheap, only makes sense if the return is so good you just can't say no. And you'd better have a ton of faith in the rest of your SP options or again, you are just punting on 2026. Lopez is really, really good. He remains the Twins #1 SP, and he's also a team leader, in addition to being the leader of the staff. So if you move him, you might as well blow the whole thing up and just admit you are going to be the A's, Marlins, Pirates, Rockies, for the next few seasons. For me, until I hear something different, I'm going to ASSUME SOMEONE has enough brain cells running the Twins organization to determine that RUINING any chance the Twins have of being a competitive team, even with a $120M-ish payroll, is a POOR CHOICE in keeping your investment of high value vs destroying the value of your investment.

The recent drafts haven't ignored power. Far from it. But there's also been a nice mix of athleticism/speed and more contact approach as well as defensive projection. Like most here, I didn't realize how good his glove was. So congratulations on his GG award. He doesn't have power, but it appears he's got enough pop in his bat to keep pitchers honest at least. The ability over 1 1/2 MILB seasons to keep his OB% 100+ points above his AVG tells me there's a solid eye, a solid approach, and the ability to raise his actual BA. He'll still be 22yo until July of next year, despite 1 1/2 years of pro ball. Does he begin 2026 at CR again? IDK. A lot of development can happen between now and the begining of next season. But he wouldnt be old for A+ ball by any means. The glove is there, the speed is there, a good eye/approach is there. Schobel looked good early, then looked bad, then had a great 2025 and got promoted to AAA just in time to get hurt. If that injury doesn't happen, we might be talking about him as a possible utility option for the 2026 Twins roster. DeBarge has similar positional flexibility, possibly a better glove, and seemingly more speed and SB ability. And if DeAndrade can stay healthy for a full season, we might be looking at a collection of quality utility men come 2027. Don't sleep on any of the 3. And they all bring something different to the table. But don't sleep on DeBarge because the BA hasn't come around yet. His comp might just be a better version of Martin, who took a step forward last year.

Unless Falvey is going to micro manage the catcher position...and he shouldn't...Shelton might prefer Jeffers as the #1 guy for around 100-110 games, who can occasional DH against LHP, and the Twins just need a solid #2 option. Truth is, we've been a bit spoiled over several years where we had Mauer/Redmond, and then Castro/Garver, and Garver/Jeffers, and then Jeffers/Vazquez, at least in certain aspects. Vazquez has fallen off a cliff with the bat. I'd like an upgrade. Nobody in the system is ready. Winkel, IMO, would probably hit as poorly as Vazquez, and I believe Cardenas might be able to do the job, but his bat needs a little more AAA seasoning so he doesn't embarrass when in the lineup. I'd love McCann as the #2. There might still be a little life in his bat. Same with Diaz, who had a down season, and who I don't believe the Padres want to keep for a $7M option. But unless between smarts and luck you can grab someone who has 1 more solid season left in the tank, it's possible Vazquez comes back in a more limited role for around $3M. His defense has declined. But the experience and smarts makes him an OK option, if not a good one, to be a more limited #2. I'd think $3M is a floor rate for a veteran #2 backstop. I'd like to move on to someone else that can perform better than Vazquez's .545 OPS. I mean, how hard could it be to TRY someone else and get worse production? At that point, you might as well just give Cardenas the job. But let's also be realistic about most #2 catchers and their production. Drew Butera, for example, had a long career as a quality reserve backstop with a CAREER OPS of about the same. Vazquez is not my #1 choice. Again, I'd like to take a flier on some other veteran who might have enough gas in the tank for 1 more season of a .650 OPS. But push comes to shove, Vazquez's experience, and knowledge of the Twins staff, in a more limited appearance schedule, really might not be a poor choice.

Popkins and his staff were fall guys. The K's went down, but so did everything else, and he got the blame. By his own admission, part of the reason he's had better coaching success in Toronto was the hiring of a new assistant who simply communicates the overall plan and details that he, Popkins, sees and wants to implement. I wish I had an answer regarding development of bats, or lack there of. Was Julien simply not as good as his numbers made him look? Was there that much of a flaw in his approach? Miranda has been hurt. But he's also always been susceptible to poor/weak contact because he just can't help but swing and try to hit everything. But on the other hand, until approximately August 1st if 2024... and until about July 1st of 2025...Lewis looked like a STUD and it was all about keeping him on the field. Then he's awful for about a full year. So is he a success or failure? Wallner looked like a success his first couple of seasons with OPS WELL above league average. Even with his poor 2025, he still ended up above league average in OPS. His future undetermined? While Larnach hasn't been great, he's turned out to be a league average performer for a 1st round pick selected 20th. He's probably achieved about 75% of potential outcome. In reality, that's a successful player overall. Arraez was a success wasn't he? Jeffers has been one of the better OPS catchers in all of MLB. I'm not saying there AREN'T concerns. I think part of the problem is systematic. We had the Bomba Squad in 2019 and 2020 and then there was a series of mixed result seasons where the offense was inconsistent, but also had years where they ranked quite high in runs scored. I also think there was a talent gap for a couple of years where the FO and talent on hand was geared to an approach that wasn't working any longer. And there was suddenly a gap in defense, speed, and athleticism on the team. It's not a rosy picture. But I don't know that development has been completely bleak either. Boy would things look better/different with a healthy Lewis and Buxton's knee getting "fixed" earlier. So far, Keaschall looks really good. And young hitters like Rodriguez, Jenkins, Gonzalez, and Culpepper are really close to debuting. And there's no question they hold keys to unlocking a quality, productive, and more consistent offense. I don't believe the manager is responsible for player development other than providing a quality atmosphere of support. I DO BELIEVE his STAFF is important part of player development however. Coaching and instruction simply doesn't stop when a young player reaches MLB. There remains a learning/adapting curve once you reach that level, just as there is every single step up the MILB ladder. And it's my hope Shelton is given control to assemble a staff of teachers/coaches that he believes in for that purpose. On a larger scale, the FO should ALWAYS spend a TON of time reviewing the entire systematic approach being used for instruction and being honest with themselves if they see an opportunity for change.

Honestly, there are times where I hate being an optimist in general. Especially when it comes to the Vikings, or in this case, the Twins. I so want to believe Falvey is honest when he states he wants and expects Lopez and Ryan to be on the Twins opening day. Right THERE you have a chance to compete with a sound SP staff with some depth of a healthy Ober followed by SWR and maybe Bradley. We'll see how that shakes out. Crazy at it may sound, I may be more worried about the offense than the bullpen. Can Lewis stay healthy throughout 2026 and get his attack and AB profile regulated? Can Lee figure out his difficulties, which he says he has, and make corrections to at least be a quality super utility INF at some point? Can Rodriguez JUST STAY HEALTHY enough to finally debut and start to flash his talent? And Jenkins, Gonzalez, Culpepper, and some arms and additional prospects are so close to debuting. Like you, I don't like a bunch of 1yr deals. They have their place. The organization should be in place to have enough younger talent with control in place. But aren't we close to that? I'm OK for ONE more season for Falvey and his staff to figure 1B out with a few interesting options internally. Reference to someone like Williams on a 1yr deal for the pen is exactly what I've been talking about. And I'm certain there has to be another RH BP option also looking for a comeback season. How about 1 more year of Coulombe, for example. Even if the Twins aren't going to spend a lot, there's room to MAYBE construct a relatively cheap pen for 2026. That gives more time for Lewis, Raya, and others to make their move. SWR and Bradley are out of options. Push will come to shove. Especially if Matthews or Abel suddenly starts throwing great. SOMEONE ELSE moves to the pen we might not have expected initially. But bullpen wise, that's a potential good gain. Potentially. So while we are generally in agreement about a preponderance of 1yr deals, I'd state if the Twins had ANY idea of competing AT ALL, a couple 1yr deals would make perfect sense.

Pardon my language ahead of time, but this is what has pissed me off the most about ownership and FINALLY convinced me how horrible and petty and misguided they are. Joe, supposedly, took over for Jim. And Joe clearly spoke about a bright future where he could see a $180M payroll. And then it all came tumbling down. And when Houston came calling about Correa, it was JIM who the Astos called to make the deal! I guess we can thank Joe for actually WANTING the Twins to do well. And I guess we can thank him for the extra $ push in 2025 to get the Twins payroll to around $142M. And MAYBE Joe can find a way to push the payroll to $120-125M to give the Twins at least a fighting chance in 2026, but we clearly have an ownership/family in complete disarray. No matter their spin on bringing in minority owners and still have control of the team, they are CLEARY looking to still sell after the next labor deal, hoping for a higher value. They THINK they are being smart. They THINK the Twins value will increase somewhat with a different agreement. Meanwhile, they seem content to allow their product to lower itself in value based on fan interest and tickets sold and then STILL have to lose about $500M in payment back to the minority owners when a final sale takes place around 2028. Even IF the team is sold for $2B in 2028, after the payout to the new minority owners, they STILL "only" walk away with the original $1.5B they could have sold the team for this past offseason. So what was ultimately accomplished?