Patrick Reusse: No solutions seem obvious as Twins slip into mediocrity

One year ago on this weekend, the Twins drew 131,956 for a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox. That was the largest attendance for a three-game series since 1992, when the Twins were enjoying the benefits of a World Series victory in the previous season.

The public's urge to buy tickets was based on a miraculous Twins run from 25-33 on June 7 to 72-51 after taking two of three from the Mighty Whiteys.

The Twins' closing run ultimately reached 71 victories in 104 games, and they would claim the American League Central title on the season's final day.

An abrupt playoff elimination by Oakland did not put a significant damper on the good feelings. They surpassed 10,000 season tickets for the first time in franchise history.

The Twins have gone from miraculous to mediocre in 2007. All of those good feelings have been replaced by widespread disgruntlement over the failure to add a hitter or to make an effort to re-sign Torii Hunter.

"I was given [financial] parameters to add a player," General Manager Terry Ryan said. "I wasn't able to get a deal because of what other teams wanted for the players we were interested in. It wasn't because of financial restraints."

Jim Pohlad said he was disappointed that a deal wasn't made before the trading deadline. "I'm a fan," he said. "I've been as frustrated as everyone else by the trouble we've had scoring runs. I was hoping Terry would call and say he had made a trade."

Owner Carl Pohlad has three sons: Jim, Bob and Bill. They all have business areas where they concentrate. Jim remains the son involved part-time in baseball.

Carl will turn 92 Thursday. He remains active enough with the Twins that he went to a major league meeting with Jim last week in Toronto.

"We set the payroll at 50 to 52 percent of revenues, which is basically the guideline for major league teams," Jim Pohlad said. "If Terry goes over, we don't make an issue of it."

Jim paused. "I don't want to mislead anyone," he said. "We're not going to let him go over by 50 percent. But if it's a few million over, we're not going to say anything."

The payroll budget set for Ryan last winter was an all-time Twins high of $70 million. He was operating at close to $74 million until the recent trades of Luis Castillo and Ramon Ortiz. The Twins figure to land at $71.5 million, when Ryan does his calculation on actual dollars spent at season's end.

"We can compete," Ryan said. "We're in the middle in payroll. Heck, we're $10 million higher than Cleveland, and the Indians are in first place."

The Twins payroll is 18th among the 30 big-league teams. The Indians are 23rd at $61 million.

Still, the level of concern among the on-field staff on future personnel took another hit last week.

Carlos Zambrano's five-year, $91.5 million contract makes signing Johan Santana to an extension even more remote. Eric Byrnes getting a three-year, $30 million contract can only raise Michael Cuddyer's asking price. It all starts with Hunter, though, now only six weeks from the end of his Twins contract.

"I'd like to see us sign Torii, sure," Jim Pohlad said. "Johan, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer ... we have a lot of premier players and it would be great if we could keep them all."

The fact Jim is a fan didn't prevent him from using the words "Twins" and "business" in the same sentence in a Friday night conversation.

The Pohlads' business model will continue to have a payroll based roughly on 50 to 52 percent of revenues.

The Twins have done well increasing revenues annually in recent years, but they are about maxed out in the Dome. There will be some increase in the team's share of industry revenues over the next two years.

A $10 million increase is probably optimistic, but if the Twins get there, that would put the payroll goals for the last two Dome seasons at $75.5 million in '08 and $81 million in '09.

That doesn't sound hopeful for either Hunter or Santana (free agent after 2008), but Ryan is unwavering.

"We can compete with payrolls like this, if I do my job," he said.

Patrick Reusse can be heard weekdays on AM-1500 KSTP at 6:45 and 7:45 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. • preusse@startribune.com