Twins fire GM Terry Ryan - MLB

Big news from the Twin Cities: the Minnesota Twins just announced that General Manager/Executive Vice President Terry Ryan has been fired. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Assistant GM Rob Antony.

In late May a “high-ranking Twins official” told columnist Mike Berardino that ownership was “100 percent committed” to Ryan keeping his job. The club went 10-17 in June and is 8-5 in July, which is actually an improvement over its April and May performance, but one gets the strong impression that Ryan’s ouster is about more than just the 2016 record.

Rather, it’s about team direction. This was Ryan’s second tour as the GM of the club. His first one was successful, as he helped build a team that won four division titles from 2002 through 2006. Since his return following the 2011 season, however, the Twins have posted 90+ loss seasons three times and are on their way to a fourth 90+ loss season in the last five. Last year’s 83-79 team is looking more and more like a fluke each passing day.

Ryan’s approach worked for several years, but as the 2000s wore on, his affinity for scouting and old school baseball as opposed to the analytical approach most clubs were rapidly adopting became increasingly anachronistic. He has been historically loathe to spend money on a needed top tier free agent in any given year yet has, perversely, spent a LOT of money on several mediocre or outright bad players such as Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes and Mike Pelfrey. This worst-of-both-worlds approach has given the Twins neither top talent nor financial flexibility.

Meanwhile, the player development system that served the Twins so well 15 years ago has been far less successful in the past decade. There is a new, promising core consisting of Byron Buxton, Jose Berrios, Miguel Sano and Max Kepler, but Ryan’s ability to build around it is dubious given his moves over the past several offseasons. Many Twins fans have felt this for years. Now it seems that Twins ownership agrees with them.

Here is the club’s statement, complete with comment from Ryan himself:

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.