So, yeah, sometimes a team might get a chance at pulling off an improbable comeback, even if it looks dead in mid-August. But then, the 2009 Twins also were 52-51 and just 2 games back on July 31, which gave Smith the confidence to acquire Orlando Cabrera at the deadline and then trade for Carl Pavano a week later. When Smith traded for Jon Rauch and signed Ron Mahay on August 28, the team was 64-64, in 2nd place, and trailed Detroit by 4.5 games. At those points when Smith decided to bolster his roster for the stretch run, his team was just good enough, as well as close enough to the lead, to justify his decisions.

When the team is 47-55 and in 4th place, off the lead by 7 games, in late July, just lost a home series against the division leaders, most recently got crushed by the West leaders in the first game of a Texas/California road trip, and faces a difficult schedule over the next 6 weeks… well, maybe I’d give the guys the next 3 games in Texas to show me something to make me think that they could be real contenders. Maybe. But if the Rangers continue to make them look bad, I’d say it’s time to cut bait and start rebuilding towards the future, if any good deals can be made.

OK… so maybe it’s a LITTLE bit of a problem

And yeah. I’m thinking this next week to 10 days will seal things, one way or another. The question is whether Bill Smith will start selling before that time is up. Kenny Williams is considering starting a fire sale of his own and they’re still leading the Twins. Of course, Smith has an advantage over Williams in that the Twins have over 3 million in attendance already banked. Williams has to be concerned about lack of attendance and the resulting loss of revenue.

Should be an interesting week.

But it’s the way this team has been losing that makes me feel about ready to start selling. They aren’t just losing… they’re looking like they did in April… flat out awful… and it’s hard to imagine a team that bad making another serious run.

The thing is, some of these guys could be clear waivers and be traded in August, too, so there may not be quite the rush we would otherwise think there is.