Chin Music w/ Roy Smalley, LaVelle E. Neal III & Jim Souhan - Minnesota Twins Podcast · Talk North Podcast Network

Why aren't Twins & others signing players?

·23 min·1 clip

Jim asks whether baseball could use a revenue-based salary cap tied to annual league growth.

1. Chin Music w/ Roy Smalley, LaVelle E. Neal III & Jim Souhan centers this episode on why the Twins and other MLB clubs are not making moves. 2. Roy Smalley, a former Twins player and broadcaster, joins Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune and TalkNorth.com to discuss baseball’s offseason market. 3. The episode asks why MLB free agency feels so quiet when “there are a lot of good players out there” and why that matters for the sport. 4. Jim argues that baseball is making a mistake by not being more interesting in the offseason. 5. Roy points to the reserve-clause era, Milt Pappas, and Frank Robinson to show how trades once felt like major events for fans. 6. Both hosts say teams can trade and sign players now, but many still choose to wait. 7. Jim says some clubs, including the Twins, wait until February or March so a player will accept less money. 8. He contrasts MLB with the NFL and NBA, where offseason activity often keeps fans engaged. 9. LaVelle says the muted market is tied to what could happen after the 2026 season. 10. He says a lockout or work stoppage is real because the current CBA ends in 2026. 11. LaVelle says owners are already “saber ratting” for a salary cap, while the Players Association does not want one. 12. He says big names like Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman will still get paid, but fewer teams can afford to chase them. 13. Jim proposes a hybrid salary-cap model tied to baseball revenue and adjusted by annual growth. 14. He recalls a Mickey Mantle anecdote in which Mantle called Steinbrenner “partner” during a negotiation. 15. Roy and LaVelle say trust is the main obstacle because players do not trust owners with the books. 16. Jim says the current system keeps owners and players fighting over “the golden goose” instead of sharing the “golden eggs.” 17. The tone is conversational and argumentative, with interruptions, technical issues, and quick follow-ups. 18. The format mixes labor discussion, baseball business, and a later music-business detour about songwriting royalties. 19. Listeners interested in MLB labor, Twins payroll, and baseball economics would fit this episode. 20. Listeners wanting game recaps or on-field analysis may skip this episode.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Chin Music w/ Roy Smalley, LaVelle E. Neal III & Jim Souhan - Minnesota Twins Podcast