The Minnesota Twins made the playoffs six times in the nine years from 2002-2010, and barely missed a seventh, losing a tiebreaker game for the AL Central title to the White Sox in 2008. Though they won just one playoff series in that time (a division series in 2002), at least they were there -- one of the top-tier franchises in the American League, with a GM and manager respected by everyone, and a home-grown superstar whose presence helped get them a gorgeous new stadium that opened in 2010.
The Minnesota Twins: Have-Nots Again
Getty Images
Several key injuries burst the bubble in 2011 and the Twins lost 99 games, the most losses for the team since 1982. Monday, that resulted in the firing of GM Bill Smith and the return of former GM Terry Ryan on an “interim” basis; Ryan said he didn’t know how long that would be, and more ominously, according to that Aaron Gleeman article:
For one thing, he revealed during yesterday's press conference that the Twins' payroll will decline in 2012, saying it will likely be "somewhere around $100 million." If true that would represent a $15 million drop and leave little room to re-sign Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, and Joe Nathan, let alone add other free agents.
Last month, Gleeman wrote that the Twins have about $82 million committed for 2012; a $100 million figure for next season would mean a real squeeze on adding any significant players, as Gleeman further wrote:
... for now their projected payroll is around $81 million with shortstop, right field, DH, fourth outfielder, and two bullpen spots empty.It would be very difficult for a team to play without a DH, shortstop and right fielder, but as noted above, two players who could fill those spots (Cuddyer and Kubel) are likely gone. Joe Nathan turns 37 this month and could have reached the end of a fine career.
The Twins have been able to fill open spots for many years through drafting and good organizational development; it's how they got Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Torii Hunter, Kubel, Cuddyer and others who were the foundation of their playoff success during the last decade. The problem with cutting payroll in this way is that the Twins are likely headed for a few 90-loss seasons until they can rebuild that foundation. That won't fill Target Field the way it has been the last two years; lower attendance means lower revenues and thus, probably even lower payrolls.
That didn’t bother the Twins during their playoff run; they were near the middle of the pack in payrolls during most of that time and made the playoffs most years anyway. Team salary totals made the big jump from $65 million to $98 million in 2010 with the opening of the new stadium and the concurrent signing of Mauer to the contract extension that will pay him an average of $23 million every year through 2018.
Can the Twins afford to have one player take up nearly 25% of their payroll and still put a team that will a) draw fans and b) contend for a playoff spot? Twins ownership is betting Terry Ryan can do it again.
See More:
