By Michael Haas
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about Terry Ryan's decision making. Naturally, this discussion includes past failures like Sidney Ponson and the inability to get the ever elusive One More Bat. The discussion usually turns to future decisions, such as re-signing Torii Hunter and Johan Santana. The underlying issue at every topics heart is money.
It's well documented that the Twins do things on the cheap. They don't sign big name free agents, or even very many middle-of-the-road free agents. They draft kids whom they know will sign for cheap. They are even rumored to strategically handle their minor leaguers jump to the bigs so their arbitration season will start one year later.
It's become an excuse when things are going badly, and it's become a reason to love The Twins Way of Doing Things when they're having a good season.
But some people around town are questioning this very fact that we've become so used to. Dan Barriero has been ripping TR for his unwillingness to trade any prospect for a rental player. Aaron Gleeman has been claiming that the Twins aren't a small market team at all, and that we have plenty of prospects and money to throw around to, at least, get a bat who's better than Nick Punto.
The Twins have a payroll this season of about 71.5 million dollars. This is good for 19th in all of baseball, 10th in the American League and 3rd in the Central.
| New York Yankees | $ 189,639,045 |
| Boston Red Sox | $ 143,026,214 |
| New York Mets | $ 115,231,663 |
| Los Angeles Angels | $ 109,251,333 |
| Chicago White Sox | $ 108,671,833 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | $ 108,454,524 |
| Seattle Mariners | $ 106,460,833 |
| Chicago Cubs | $ 99,670,332 |
| Detroit Tigers | $ 95,180,369 |
| Baltimore Orioles | $ 93,554,808 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | $ 90,286,823 |
| San Francisco Giants | $ 90,219,056 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | $ 89,428,213 |
| Houston Astros | $ 87,759,000 |
| Atlanta Braves | $ 87,290,833 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | $ 81,942,800 |
| Oakland Athletics | $ 79,366,940 |
| Minnesota Twins | $ 71,439,500 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | $ 70,986,500 |
| Cincinnati Reds | $ 68,904,980 |
| Texas Rangers | $ 68,318,675 |
| Kansas City Royals | $ 67,116,500 |
| Cleveland Indians | $ 61,673,267 |
| San Diego Padres | $ 58,110,567 |
| Colorado Rockies | $ 54,424,000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | $ 52,067,546 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 38,537,833 |
| Washington Nationals | $ 37,347,500 |
| Florida Marlins | $ 30,507,000 |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | $ 24,123,500 |
Looking at the numbers, it's certainly true that the Twins aren't the classic cutesy small-market club that some claim they are (remember '02?) They could have probably signed someone to replace way below average left field, DH and third base positions - Gleeman lists slightly below average bats such as Bobby Kielty, Wily Mo Pena, and Mark Sweeney. But they certainly don't have the payroll to sign big name free agents.
And their payroll will remain about the same until some of that new stadium revenue starts to kick in, but probably not until after the fall of '09.
Which means kiss Johan Santana goodbye.
It's pretty well agreed upon that Santana would command about $200 million dollars over about eight years. If the Twins payroll is 75 million dollars in '08 and '09, Santana's yearly salary would eat one third of it. ONE THIRD.
So..
I feel the biggest difference between a small market team and a large market team is the ability to sign free agents (their own pending free agents or from outside their team)
The reason the Twins are still a small market team, despite not being in the bottom ten of payrolls, is that they have been forking out money in arbitration to some of their pretty decent players. (Cuddyer, Mauer, Morneau, Santana, Silva, Nathan)
I propose making a third tier of Payroll distinction: No Market.
No Market teams are clubs that are so young that the bulk of their players aren't even arbitration eligible. Click on the Devil Rays or some of those teams.
Small Market teams have a couple of free agents, with a bunch of 5 million dollar a year arbitration players.
Large Market teams have a bunch of free agents, with a bunch of arbitration players.
The Twins were a no market team from about 1994 to 2003. But just because they've moved out of that tier, does not mean they are suddenly Big Fish.
10 comments:
oh yeah. I should mention that if we don't pick up Silvas option, and Hunter walks, (and money from cutting lose Castillo, Ortiz and Cirillo) We'll have almost 20 million dollars to spend. (sorry TwinsGeek, I think he'll leave. different era)
now some of that will probably go to increases in salary for Morneau and some folks, but it's a pretty decent chunk of change.
perhaps one day we'll discuss who the twins could pick up in free agency this winter.
The Twinkies have been pullin some really decent numbers in attendance this year, actualy the best best since the 92' season and it would nice to see some of that revenue turn over into added money to spend on players. Im not exactly sure how that works but wouldnt you think that should be the case?
Also, it is a bit off setting that Pohlad is one of, if not the, richest owners in baseball, with more worth the The Boss Steinbrener himself. If I were his age I would start thinking about how I would want to be remembered and a good way to ensure a fond memory of him in the public eye of Minnesota would be to loosen his grip a little bit and nab a big name free agent here or there. I know that it isnt the way the Twins do things and Ive been just as proud of their "small market" ways as the next guy but I really believe the Twins have been one or two bats away from really doing some damage for some time now.
if you wanna place the blame on anyone you have to place it on the ones who set the payroll... Since I've been scouting, I have sat down and talked to Terry Ryan on a few occasions and he really knows his shit... Every other organization I talk to they say everything should be modeled after T.R. he is simply the best right now.
I would also say the twins are small market... they have a lot of money tied into 5 players right now and the rest are making shit.
Ponson and Ortiz were a good risk to take based on their past... i mean ponson was hitting 97 with sink. touched 97... but he couldn't control his sinker, left it up which is bad.
See my issue with the Ponson, Ortiz deal was that we did have plenty of young guys that can pitch. Granted they had very little experience. That 4 mil that went to ortiz and Ponson could have been put to better use getting some better hitters.
I know that hindsight is 20-20, but still hasn't the bats been the problem the last few years, not so much the pitching.
Justin Morneau deserves 500 times more heat than he's getting right now. He is the Reigning MVP and our clean up hitter and only has3 rbis in the month of August. He hasn't hit a home run in 26 consecutive games. For our one true power hitter, that is pathetic. Alot of people blame the Nick Puntos and Jason Tyners for the teams offensive woes, but I blame Morneau's second half nosedive the most for how badly this team's performed.
Sorry, my above post has nothing to do with this thread, but my frustrations with Justin MVP Morneau are very high at the moment. Terry Ryan, Pohlad, and Gardenhire have been taking quite a bit of heat. But the fact is, If Morneau was playing like he's expected to, even with all of our AAAA hitters, we would be in first place right in the central right now.
The other night I heard Gordo say, "Jason Kubel has been red hot in his last two at bats." Is it possible to be red hot in only two at bats?
obviously the answer is yes.
he didn't really say that.
did he?
Pills7:
I got one word for this offseason... MULE!!!!
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