We are just days away from the trade deadline, but it seems the same old Minnesota Twins are going to show up and dissapoint everyone who was getting excited.
Minnesota didn't make a move last year, opting to see how things played out with players they had returning from the IL rather than trade away prospects. The disaster of the previous deadline also played a role in convincing the Twins to stnad pat, but the rumor mill winds have been whistling their name for the better part of a month now.
Pitching help is a very cliche need to have at the deadline, but it feels like Minnesota is a solid starter away from truly being a threat in October. The team decided to not dip its toe into the free agency pool, refusing to add to the payroll even if it meant improving the roster.
That's a sentiment -- and perhaps a mandate -- that unfortunately remains in effect as the deadline nears.
Twins trade deadline plans are hindered by 'money issues'
ESPN's Jeff Passan buzzed through some of the latest things he's been hearing ahead of the deadline, and he had some less than ideal stuff to say about the Twins.
"Money issues continue to hinder any shot at a big move, and it's why the Twins are an add-and-subtract team and not simply an add team like they ought to be," Passan wrote. "If the opportunity to acquire a higher-salary player presents itself, they would need to offload salary from their major league roster in that deal or another to cancel out the expense."
To be fair, as frsutrating as this is we all should have seen it coming a mile away. The Pohlads haven't been subtle about putting the bottom line above actually improving the team. After the most successful postseason in two deacdes the team slashed its payroll over concerns about lost revenue from a bad TV deal.
Rather than improve that, the Twins got back into bed with Diamond Sports Group and now a majority of fans can't even watch the team play games. At every turn profit and revenue has been prioritized over the product, and the deadline seems to be no different.
We had already heard rumblings that money could be a factor, with Aaron Gleeman noting that the Twins are looking at deals that won't add money to next year's payroll. That already signifncantly hindered the market but it also unfortunately served as a precursor to just how unserious the team is about making a move.
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