Rocco Baldelli has fiery comments about Twins slashing payroll and not adding players

It's no secret that Minnesota Twins disappointed fans this winter by failing to make any sort of meaningful move via free agency or trade. The team did make some moves, but the additions were mostly low-key while the subtractions where top-tier players like Sonny Gray and Jorge Polanco.

The optics of the offseason were even worse when juxtaposed against the hope that fans felt at the end of last season. For the first time in two decades the Twins won a playoff series and in the process ended the most embrassing losing streak in profressional sports.

Reaching the ALDS and putting up a fight against the Houston Astros gave the impression that the team would use the winter to level up a roster that was already a contender. Instead fans got Charlie Brown'd as the front office snatched the football away under the guise of lose future revenue thanks to the bankruptcy chaos with Diamond Sports Group.

Ownership followed that up by taking the worst possible television deal for fans this side of simply not airing games, and twisted the knife by proclaiming that spending on potential World Series pieces wasn't going to happen.

All of this has created an enormous amount of frustration, but manager Rocco Baldelli isn't going to let it bog things down.

Rocco Baldelli has fiery comments about Twins slashing payroll

Rather than piling on or stoking coals, Baldelli took a different approach and used the lack of movement to endorse the talent he has in the clubhouse.

“No one should expect our play to fall off in any way because we had a little less money on our payroll,” Baldelli said. “We expect more from our team, regardless of what our payroll is going to be.”

Per usual, Rocco didn't say much on the subject but what he did say landed in exactly the right way.

What gets lost in the catharsis of complaining -- justifiably so -- about the moves Minnesota didn't make is how it can come across as a slight against the players already on the roster. Pointing at players the team has coming up is a pretty transparent crutch, but Rocco spinning it as a positive is a reminder that the Twins have the potential to be deeply talented without needing to rock the boat much.

Brooks Lee is the talk of Spring Training, as the No. 2 prospect in the organization has gone from someone who might get called up this year to potentially earning an Opening Day roster spot. Austin Martin is another name to keep an eye on, as he's expected to finally make his debut this year and help platoon out in centerfield with Byron Buxton.

Speaking of whom, Buxton didn't play a single inning in the field last season and turned in one of his most forgettable years of his career. All signs point toward him being fully healthy again and returning to All-Star form. The same can be said about Carlos Correa, who looks to be as healthy as he's ever been since joining the Twins and could be in for a huge season.

Betting on upside has always been the Twins preferred method of adding to the roster, and a franchise as frugal as this one has to be over the moon about being able to do that without spending too much money. It stings to see the team sit on its hands at the first sign of seriously contending for a World Series, but there's immense value in looking at the situation through the lens the Rocco is viewing it.

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