Twins

[Gunner55]

  The NYM outspent($343) the NYY & SD on payroll by$ 65 & $85 mil respectively & none of them played a single playoff game this year. A mid to small market does that very often & the team might be up for sale. 

[KEN W]

Sonny Gray rejects Twins offer of $20 million for 1 year. He has never been a free agent and will look for a lot more than that. 

[Steve-o]

I reckon he'll get it, and prolly more than a one year deal.

We all know I don't know nothin about nothin - expecially baseball - but that Twins offer looks to me like a meaningless token gesture.

[Gunner55]

I reckon he'll get it, and prolly more than a one year deal.

We all know I don't know nothin about nothin - expecially baseball - but that Twins offer looks to me like a meaningless token gesture.

Ohtani got offered the same exact amount as Gray & so did 5 others. It's called a "qualifying offer" & has been part of the MLBPA last 3 CBAs as to how it is figured. If they turn it down & sign elsewhere the team they are leaving receives some Draft compensation. https://www.mlb.com/news/2023-24-qualifying-offer-candidates-and-decisions Explains it pretty well.

[Steve-o]

I reckon he'll get it, and prolly more than a one year deal.

We all know I don't know nothin about nothin - expecially baseball - but that Twins offer looks to me like a meaningless token gesture.

Ohtani got offered the same exact amount as Gray & so did 5 others. It's called a "qualifying offer" & has been part of the MLBPA last 3 CBAs as to how it is figured. If they turn it down & sign elsewhere the team they are leaving receives some Draft compensation. https://www.mlb.com/news/2023-24-qualifying-offer-candidates-and-decisions Explains it pretty well.

So qualifying offer means bear minimum to get the compensation pick when he leaves.  "Ya can't say we didn't make him a good offer."   

[KEN W]

$20 Million "bare minimum." 

[Gunner55]

The actual # is gotten by averaging of what the top 125 players make for that season. I'm not sure how they came up with that but they did. So, if you do the #'s & I just did..................with 30 teams X 26 players on each means there are 780 MLB players, divide by 125 into that & you come up with 16%. So it's an avg of about the top 1/6 $ makers of the league that year.

[Steve-o]

I spose its similar to the "Franchise" tag in football - the average salary of the top 5 highest paid players at that position. 

[dutchboy]

Like was mentioned this really means very little in the big pitcher. There have only been a small handful of guys who have accepted the qualifying offer. By giving the qualifying offer the Twins protect themselves if Gray should leave. The team signing him has to give up a draft choice to the Twins. Gray has the certainty of heading into the market, the Twins also can sign him to any number they want.

It's good for the players and the teams.

[KEN W]

Maeda signs 2 year $24 million deal with Tigers.

[Steve-o]

Don't need 'em. 

[dutchboy]

Speculation is Gray is signing with the Cardinals today.

[Steve-o]

Don't need 'em. 

[KEN W]

Sonny Gray signing 3 years for $75 million with St. Louis.

[Steve-o]

2024 MLB Free Agent Tracker

Aaron Nola got 7 years $24.57M per
Sonny Gray got 3 years $25M per
Kenta Maeda got 2 years $12M per
Kyle Gibson got 1 year $12M
Lance Lynn got 1 year $11M

What do 4 of those 5 guys have in common?  They all USED to pitch for the Twins! 

[dutchboy]

And 3 out of 4 would be a #5 or in the bullpen.

I'm fine with all 4 being gone.

[KEN W]

Pagan signs a 2 year $16 million contract with the Reds. He had a 2.99 ERA in 66 games with the Twins.

[Steve-o]

Don't need 'em. 

[Gunner55]

No way, were they going to sign him for that kind of money. He made $3.5 mil last year, so that's > than 2 X(128%) raise. That is a pretty hitter friendly park too.

[Steve-o]

No way, were they going to sign him for that kind of money. He made $3.5 mil last year, so that's > than 2 X(128%) raise. That is a pretty hitter friendly park too.

Yeah, and despite my off and on criticism of him last year, he saved their bacon many times - even if some of the innings were nail-biters.  I'm all about making good baseball decisions.  Time for the Brain Wizards to earn THEIR money again.

[KEN W]

Minnesota Twins games on Amazon Prime in the future?

It's a possibility, according to a report from the New York Times that says Amazon is in talks with Diamond Sports Group, the bankrupt operator of the Bally Sports regional sports network that has baseball fans in Minnesota and elsewhere wondering how they'll be able to watch games next season.

"It will be on. Twins will be televised in 2024. Mark it down," new Twins television announcer Cory Provus said on the Gleeman & The Geek podcast this week.

[LPS]

I wondered what was going to happen.  I guess I can see it.

[Steve-o]

How much they goona charge for it?   

Free to Prime users?   

[LPS]

Yup I bet a Prime thing.  So free shipping and their Netflix type thing and baseball for about $100 year.

[Gunner55]

Much like their NFL games on Thursday, free to Prime subscribers. A great way to build their streaming & Prime subscription #s IMO. A lot of MLB, NBA, & even 1/3 of the NHL teams could be included in this deal. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2023/12/18/amazon-in-talks-to-invest-in-diamond-sports-group.aspx

[LPS]

Yes great marketing plan by Amazon.  I didn't think the NFL thing would work out as good as it has.

[Gunner55]

I knew Diamond had a big Regional Sports Network(RSN) but I didn't know it was a big as what the article says.

[LPS]

Yup all owned by Sinclair that decided to quit selling the sports package to all of the other companies like Dish Hulu Youtube etc.  They wanted everyone to go through Bally to try to make a killing.  It backfired on them and now they are Bankrupt. 

[Steve-o]

Right up until Amazon ups their Prime fees because of all the added service OR starts making you pay ala carte for all the extras.

[dutchboy]

There is no doubt the Twins will be on TV somewhere. I'm only willing to pay X to watch on TV. If it becomes the typical money grab i'll just listen on radio.