Comments on: Sleep on this about Casey Blake

By: Terry D.

Terry D. — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:48:26 +0000

This is how it works in Twinsville. This club always finds the point at which a player will sign and then they offer just under that so he won’t, leaving the public to think “wow, they offered that much” what a jerk. They can always say they tried but he was too much. Its always been that way. A couple examples…

Torii Hunter wanted four years at 15 mil. The Twins met the 15 but stayed on three years cause they new that Torii would not take less then four years. He would have been willing to take a bit less per year but had to be four. They knew this.

Santana wanted 20 per for six years. Maybe slightly less per year but six for sure. The Twins came in at 20 for four years knowing full well he wouldn’t take it. Again, they can say they offered 80 million and try and get the public to believe they made a strong offer, making Johan look greedy. It was never going to be accepted so the number is bogus.

They do this all the time and then slide an extra 25 million in their pockets like they did last year. Look throughout the years and you will see the same thing time and time again.

We will leave the meeting with nothing as usual.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:17:57 +0000

The Dodgers overpaid. Yikes.

By: T

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:22:10 +0000

USAF: You must not be using a wireless connection to post…unless you’re using your tinfoil hat to help bounce the signal.

By: danlgold

danlgold — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:59:50 +0000

I’ve said this b/4: Casilla to SS; Give Cuddy back his chance at 2B (only concern is range); DY, Gomez and Span in OF; go after Atkins or Beltre, but don’t overpay and live with Busher/Harris if have to; Tolbert can fill Punto role.

By: USAFChief

USAFChief — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:53:49 +0000

The bottom line in this is $3.5M dollars (actually, less than that, see below). All the crap about the “third year” is nothing but a smokescreen by the Twins, who apparently never had any real interest in signing Blake.

According to LENIII, the Twins offered him $14M $7M in 2009, $7M in 2010), he signed with the Dodgers for $17.5M ($5M, $6M, $5.25M, $1.25M).

I don’t believe the Twins offered Blake that much money, but if true, they backed off over less than $3.5M, spread out over 4 years.

Given the contract he signed, they would’ve saved $2M in 2009 (they offered $7M, he got $5M.) Surely a banker like Pohlad could take that $2M, invest it at 5% for two years, and in 2011 (the third year of the contract) have $2.205 available to ‘pay down’ the third year of the contract.

Same for the $1M they saved (offered 7, he got 6) in 2010. Invest for 1 year at 5%, they have 1.05M available in 2011 for Blake’s contract.

Add those together ($2.205M + $1.05M) and you have $3.11M to put towards the remaining $6.5M ($5.25 in 2011, $1.25 in 2012) owed to Blake. So even if Blake is completely worthless in 2011, he would cost the Twins only $2.14M in 2011, and $1.25M in 2012.

That’s what the “third year” really would’ve cost the Twins, if they actually made a 2 year, %14M offer.

The numbers show they were never serious about Blake, or else he’d be Twin this morning.

By: sane

sane — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:51:15 +0000

Mark W,
“Impact bat” doesn’t necessarily mean power bat.

Grudzielanek and Cano would be impact bats.