Joe Pohlad says Twins won't splash cash on big free agent
Minnesota Twins CEO Joe Pohlad has poured cold water on fans hoping Minnesota would be the team to break the bank for one of the "Boras Four."
"The players that are out there right now, that, probably, a bunch of fans are talking about, we're not in the market for those players," Pohlad told WCCO radio Tuesday afternoon. "But there are definitely other players that can have a positive impact on our team that [president of baseball operations Derek Falvey], I'm sure, is looking at."
With players across the league reporting to spring training over the past week, many fans have been left wondering if their team will be the one to add one of the top remaining free agents left on the market, all of whom just happen to be clients of super agent Scott Boras.
Third baseman Matt Chapman, left-handed pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, as well as center fielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger have become known as the "Boras Four" across the league.
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In response to a question whether the team could sign a remaining big name free agent, Pohlad said the Twins are "going to live where we're at right now."
After a record-high payroll in 2023 the Twins notably set out to cut costs this winter – a factor tied to a missing TV rights broadcast deal (until recently) – despite the organization winning its first playoff series in over two decades last season.
"I think in today's game you can see there are a number of different ways to win," Pohlad said when discussing cutting payroll during the offseason. "You see that both with the Tampa Bay Rays and with the Baltimore Orioles having lower payrolls, turning out very successful products on the field but also investing in other areas of the business. That is something that we are doing. But without a question the television situation is having an impact on our business but beyond that we're just trying to right-size our business. That goes into it as well."
The Twins are one of a number of organizations across North American sports that have seen their television deal thrown into question after Diamond Sports Group filed bankruptcy last year. Diamond Sports Group owns the Bally Sports Regional Network that holds the rights to dozens of NBA, NHL and MLB games around the country, including the Twins.
Minnesota's television contract with Bally Sports North expired at the end of the 2023 season, resulting in a long legal process that eventually led to the Twins and BSN striking a one-year deal in early February that will keep the team's games on Bally airwaves in 2024.
"What I will say about some flexibility is, when Derek (Falvey) and his team think there is the right opportunity in front of us, we don't live hard and fast by a specific number," Pohlad added. "That said, we're not going to spend $30 million on a player right now."
Sep 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Cody Bellinger (24) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park.
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