Thoughts

One of the reasons I've been spending so much time on discussing motivation lately is that it's too hard to pick a subject based on sports. I don't like hockey enough to talk about the Wild. The Wolves are having a really bad season AGAIN. And the Twins biggest news this offseason is that they will be basically the same team again this year. So we're relying on a new manager and new coaches, and old players suddenly becoming better, to turn it all around. I'm not saying they won't, but the odds are against them.

And then you have the Vikings, a team that was so quietly eliminated from the playoffs last week that they didn't even know it. I like this good, young team, but other than Teddy having a fine rookie season for someone so young, there isn't much to speculate on or delve into. We just have to wait for everyone to mature some. And with the Twins were just waiting for some to retire...

So let's talk Jay Cutler. The Bears made him the highest paid player in football this season as part of seven-year deal that they gave him last year. And for whatever reason, he has become the worst QB in the league this year. He's personally responsible for 24 of his teams turnovers.

Now the Bears are benching him. I think the primary reason for this is to stop him from getting injured. IF he stays healthy, the Bears can cut him after the season is over by paying him a $10 million buyout on his long-term deal. If he gets injured, they won't be able to do that, and then they'll be forced to pay him for at least two more seasons. They clearly don't want him for two more seasons and this is the best way for them to deal with a really bad situation.

I wish the Twins had that option with Joe Mauer. "Is he well?" "Yes." "Well what are you waiting for? Cut him, quick. before he sneezes or something!" Baseball contracts, for some weird reason are always guaranteed.

The only baseball story I found interesting this week was that the Dodgers have so much money that they are actually paying some of their long-term contract players to leave!

The Los Angeles Dodgers are under new management, and the new management is unloading a lot of the previous management's commitments.

This involves writing off some pretty substantial contracts:

Reliever Brian Wilson, designated for assignment Tuesday, is owed $9.5 million for 2015.
The Dodgers will pay the Miami Marlins $12.5 million to take starter Dan Haren off their hands.
They will pay the San Diego Padres $32 million over the next five years to take the contract of outfielder Matt Kemp.

Add it up, and those three moves mean the Dodgers are paying $54 million so Kemp, Haren and Wilson will play for somebody else.

$54 million is roughly the equivalent of the largest free-agent signing in Twins history (Ervin Santana).

Those big market teams and their ability to waste money is unmatched.