Comments on: Monday, Grumpy Monday

By: frightwig

frightwig — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:29:57 +0000

It wouldn’t surprise me to see payroll drop again next year. First, we are talking about the Twins; and cutting down to $85 million would just drop the club down a few spots in payroll rank, between the payrolls currently carried by the Cubs and Braves. If the Twins payroll ranks right in the middle of the majors, that’s just exactly what club executives said they would do, before Target Field opened. They didn’t say it loudly or often, but they said it.

In any case, it also wouldn’t be the first time a club cut back and “cried poor” shortly after opening a gleaming new ballpark, either (like, why do the Padres have to be at the bottom of the majors with a $55m payroll right now?). No ballparks have been torched, yet.

Get set for the pep talks about the “rebuilding plan” and the “youth movement,” Jim. Coming soon.

By: Eric Pleiss

Eric Pleiss — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:25:38 +0000

If Brian Dozier’s super-2 status becomes an issue, it will be one the Twins will happily deal with. He isn’t going to be an All-Star shortstop, so even with an extra year of arbitration he isn’t likely to command a large salary. And if he does turn out to be better than advertised, and still starting 2 years from now when super-2 is an issue the Twins will happily pay him his money.

By: Jim Crikket

Jim Crikket — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:40:03 +0000

I’d probably feel a bit better about the “lot of contracts coming off the books after the season” if ownership hadn’t pocketed most of the money that came off the books after LAST season. If TR is given an $85 million payroll to work with next year, fans will torch Target Field… and rightfully so.

By: frightwig

frightwig — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:24:05 +0000

The decision to promote Dozier now, when it could potentially cost the club some money down the road if Dozier eventually turns out to be a decent player, seems especially odd given that he’s hitting just .276/.339/.371 in Rochester (as a 25 year-old, at that). They absolutely should see what he can do in Minnesota this season, but I think another month or two in AAA might have been beneficial to him as well as the club.

The best thing about Terry Ryan’s situation is that he has a lot of contracts coming off the books after the season. Unfortunately, he probably has too many holes to fill in just one off-season, especially given the state of the Twins farm system.

By: Jim Crikket

Jim Crikket — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:44:24 +0000

AW, I get that maybe they need to really see what Dozier can do and certainly Carroll and Casilla have done nothing offensively to earn the right to keep their spots. I also can acknowledge that having this group allows Plouffe to move back strictly to the OF, thus strengthening the middle infield depth. But why now? It sounds like promoting Dozier now is likely to result in him being a “super two” status from a service time standpoint, assuming he stays up with the Twins. Is that wise, given that it isn’t exactly as though his promotion is going to turn the season around? It may work out just fine, but that’s not where I would have begun the necessary overhaul.

By: AW

AW — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:29:54 +0000

You’re right that the middle infield defense has been solid, and that the Twins are now undoing one of the few bright spots of this season. I think the organization has realized: that 2012 doesn’t matter; that Jamey Carroll, although solid defensively, is old and has not been great on offense and is not a player you can build around; and that, because of those things, it’s a good chance to let Dozier learn the job. The belief, I guess, is that his miscues won’t matter all that much this year. And if the organization thinks that he’s the answer to the revolving door, then why not let him get the rookie mistakes out of the way when things truly could not get any worse?

Also I’m on board with Molitor if he could somehow be convinced. Something has changed with him the past couple seasons. Yes, he’s usually a mainstay at Spring Training, but the organization has been shuffling him around the various affiliates now. Maybe he does want more of an active role. Bench coach??