You can see it one of two ways: glass half-empty or glass half-full. That's the reaction to Thursday's news that 92-year old Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad is baseball's wealthiest owner.
According to a Forbes 400 report, Pohlad is listed 114th among the wealthiest people in the United States. His estimated worth: $3.1 billion. Pohlad tops Braves owner John Malone ($2.4 billion), Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch ($1.6 billion), and Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner (tied at $1.3 billion).
Nice timing for an owner who's team is -- once again -- purging his roster of players who don't fit into the budget (estimated at $71 million in 2007, a $15 million increase from 2006).
Yes, it's hard to argue that money equals success when you look at the New York Yankees, Mets or their polar opposites the Oakland Athletics or, in this case, the Twins. The club has won four division titles in the last six years without throwing money at big-name free agents. They have relied on great scouting, great prospects and great coaching, turning youth into success on the field.
But they are at a crossroads. All-Star centerfielder and fan-favorite Torii Hunter is now in Los Angeles, free agent Carlos Silva will sign elsewhere and ace Johan Santana is presumably on the open market -- and maybe closer Joe Nathan too.
It's not for a lack of trying, but a lack of flexibility. The line is definitively drawn on contract terms in Minnesota. New Twins team president David St. Peter told the New York Times, the team offered Hunter a three-year, $15 million contract. He signed for $90 million over five years with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Twins insist retaining Hunter, or in the end, not keeping him, is not the issue. The numbers say differently when there is a $75 million gap over a two-year term.
I can respect an organization's position of not going beyond a three-year deal for Hunter, given his history of injuries, but don't tell a Twins fan it's not about money. It's unfair and disrespectful to think their fans would buy that line of BS. It doesn't take a Forbes 400 list member to figure out otherwise when a simple calculator will do.
The Twins have reportedly received $20 million in revenue sharing over the last five years -- or $100 million. If I were a Twins fans I'd be asking, where is that money going? Why are we losing are best players to free agency and the open market when our owner is on the Forbes 400 list?
I will grant Pohlad and the Twins some leniency in the Santana case, but not much.
According to St. Peter the team has made a healthy four-year, $80 million contract extension offer to Santana. The Minnesota ace, who will be a free agent after 2008, did not bite. Santana is holding out for a six-year deal, estimated at $20 million a year. The Twins are holding the line, claiming, as an organizational rule, they do not offer extended deals for pitchers.
Consistent? Yes. Smart? No.
Santana is an exception to the rule for a number of reasons: Two Cy Young Awards, one Gold Glove, four straight seasons of 219+ innings pitched, a durable, healthy, 28-year old left-handed All-Star pitcher with a career ERA of 3.22 and post-season experience. If the Twins trade Santana, good luck finding his replacement.
“I think our track record relative to fielding a competitive team speaks for itself,” St. Peter said. “We’re trying to make the smartest baseball decisions we can make. We’ll make the decisions we feel are in the best interests of the team. If that’s keeping Johan (Santana) for the year or signing him to an extension or trading him, we’ll have to see.”
If there track record speaks for itself, expect Santana to be wearing another uniform come spring.
Mets pitching help right under their nose
The New York Mets need starting pitching -- dependable, experienced, proven starting pitching. No one, including Omar Minaya, the New York media or Mets fans, will deny that.
It's available now, in return for a contract offer, not a combination of potential future stars.
It has a name: Livan Hernandez.
Laugh all you want, then compare his numbers to Johan Santana or Dontrelle Willis and this is what you will find: a 32-year old, veteran starter who has pitched 11 straight seasons of 200+ innings and 30 or more starts, no major injuries, 134 career wins, two All-Star appearances, four post-season appearances (including the LCS, NLDS and World Series), a career National League pitcher and eight straight seasons of 11 or more wins form some of baseball's worst teams (Washington, Montreal, Florida and San Francisco).
A healthy Pedro Martinez (3-1), Livan (11-11) and Orlando Hernandez (9-5), Oliver Perez (15-10) and John Maine (15-10) were combined 53-37 in 2007. By comparison John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine and Chuck James combined for a 54-32 record for Atlanta (including Glavine's 13-8 mark with New York) and Jamie Moyer, Cole Hamels, Adam Eaton, Kyle Kendrick, J.D. Durbin and Jon Leiber combined for a 58-42 record.
Hernandez is not a long-term fix, but a one-to-three year Band Aid until additional resources become available through free agency next season or July's trading deadline. That includes Santana, Willis, Dan Haren, Joe Blanton, Ben Sheets, Erik Bedard and the litany of other names bantered about this Winter.
You can see it one of two ways: glass half-empty or glass half-full. That's the reaction to Thursday's news that 92-year old Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad is baseball's wealthiest owner.
