OK, time to quote Branch Rickey : "Better a year early than a year late." Thome is signed for a little over $8m this year with a similar option for next year. They *should* trade him for something they need to a team that could use the HR. (Here comes my wild idea for April.)

I'm thinking the Twins should pull a Billy Beane and grab the guy for a couple of years knowing that he'll be unsignable when the contract runs out. They are playing good D and the pitching is quite good, but they lack power (the fast start not withstanding). It could work. The only drawback is that he'd be the 129th left handed hitter in the lineup and they want to get more balance.

But the bigger arguement involves looking to the future. Carl "The Miser" Pohlad is looking at the upcoming labor contract negotiations and the associated wrangling behind the scenes with other owners, and that's likely to be followed by the imposition of a salary floor. He'll be taken more seriously if he takes a step toward the minimum while he's attempting to wring more money from the rest of the owners. And witha floor coming he may as well get it over with and sign a second player to a contract for more than $4m. This is one of those situations where you don't want to be looking at the bottom of the barrel with a big wad of cash in your hand.

Of course if Thome could play 3B again Cleveland would have lots of places to trade him (SEA, NYY, etc). Maybe they should try him out on the left side of the infield while Travis is out...

OK, time to quote Branch Rickey : "Better a year early than a year late." Thome is signed for a little over $8m this year with a similar option for next year. They *should* trade him for something they need to a team that could use the HR. (Here comes my wild idea for April.)

I'm thinking the Twins should pull a Billy Beane and grab the guy for a couple of years knowing that he'll be unsignable when the contract runs out. They are playing good D and the pitching is quite good, but they lack power (the fast start not withstanding). It could work. The only drawback is that he'd be the 129th left handed hitter in the lineup and they want to get more balance.

But the bigger arguement involves looking to the future. Carl "The Miser" Pohlad is looking at the upcoming labor contract negotiations and the associated wrangling behind the scenes with other owners, and that's likely to be followed by the imposition of a salary floor. He'll be taken more seriously if he takes a step toward the minimum while he's attempting to wring more money from the rest of the owners. And witha floor coming he may as well get it over with and sign a second player to a contract for more than $4m. This is one of those situations where you don't want to be looking at the bottom of the barrel with a big wad of cash in your hand.

Of course if Thome could play 3B again Cleveland would have lots of places to trade him (SEA, NYY, etc). Maybe they should try him out on the left side of the infield while Travis is out...

OK, time to quote Branch Rickey : "Better a year early than a year late." Thome is signed for a little over $8m this year with a similar option for next year. They *should* trade him for something they need to a team that could use the HR. (Here comes my wild idea for April.)

I'm thinking the Twins should pull a Billy Beane and grab the guy for a couple of years knowing that he'll be unsignable when the contract runs out. They are playing good D and the pitching is quite good, but they lack power (the fast start not withstanding). It could work. The only drawback is that he'd be the 129th left handed hitter in the lineup and they want to get more balance.

But the bigger arguement involves looking to the future. Carl "The Miser" Pohlad is looking at the upcoming labor contract negotiations and the associated wrangling behind the scenes with other owners, and that's likely to be followed by the imposition of a salary floor. He'll be taken more seriously if he takes a step toward the minimum while he's attempting to wring more money from the rest of the owners. And witha floor coming he may as well get it over with and sign a second player to a contract for more than $4m. This is one of those situations where you don't want to be looking at the bottom of the barrel with a big wad of cash in your hand.

Of course if Thome could play 3B again Cleveland would have lots of places to trade him (SEA, NYY, etc). Maybe they should try him out on the left side of the infield while Travis is out...