What will the Twins’ payroll look like next season?

Let s start here: payroll isn t everything, and this year s Fall Classic was an example of why. The World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers had the 19th-largest payroll in baseball, per FanGraphs, and the American League-winning Tampa Bay Rays were 28th of 30 teams. The Twins, who flirted with a postseason spot for much of the season before collapsing down the stretch to finish 77-85, were in between them at 22nd. The Brewers and Rays were among the best defensive clubs in the majors and have top pitching staffs, two areas where the Twins significantly lagged. They also were two of the best base-running teams in the majors, and both sat among the top 10 teams in season-long OPS. And while they may not be the biggest spenders on players, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay invest heavily in scouting and analytics, both of their departments bigger than Minnesota s. Those things help make those teams the exception, not the rule. Payroll might not be everything, but money, spe