Rumblings: Minnesota's Expensive Future

Minnesota has the best record in the Roberto Clemente League, and much of the credit goes to their formidable lineup. But that lineup is one of the oldest in the league, and with several key hitters in the last year of their contract, keeping it together won't be cheap.

Marvin Welch

The two most difficult decisions for the Minnesota front office look to be Marvin Welch and Will Johnson. Welch is putting up big numbers in his contract year, and rumor has it that the second-baseman is angling for a bank-busting $160 million over 10 years. Left-fielder Johnson is still producing at the age of 35, but Minnesota management is hesitant to sign him to the long-term extension that Johnson desires.

Just this week, Minnesota signed left-fielder Joe Booth to a four-year contract extension worth $25 million, and a similar deal is reportedly in the works for designated hitter Dale Watson. To top things off, Minnesota's number two starter, the 34-year old Guillermo Martínez, is seeking $10 million per year.

Signing all of these players to extensions would not only be expensive but would also commit a huge portion of the payroll to aging veterans.

"We'd like to have them back because they're playing great," says GM Wobbema, "But they're playing great so they are going to ask for some big deals, deals that they probably deserve." He added that, while he is always open to trade possibilities, he is not looking to trade away his talent as they are key components of a playoff run.

So where does that leave the Berserkers?

With some tough decisions to make. With all the extra hours that Wobbema will surely be working, perhaps he should be asking the owner for a raise of his own.