The start of the offseason saw the Twins part ways with long time broadcaster Dick Bremer. Everyone was sad about losing a local legend like that, but I insisted it had less to do with Bremer, and more about the Twins vision for the future. If bidders knew what to expect, they would be more willing to secure the rights to air their games.
It seemed to me that there may even be some sort of a bidding war for the Twins' rights, and they were in a good spot, out from under Diamond Sports, just as the company collapsed. There were other local options. WFTC, WUCW and 45 have all aired sports before, including local athletics, and all were backed by major network affiliates.
Then, as we all know by now, we waited. There were interminable stories about trades the Twins could make or free agents they could sign, but no actual action. Every transaction brought a new round of those articles, with each local writer seeing the potential salvation of the offseason on the horizoin, still remaining among the available free agents and trade candidates.
Nothing has changed. Those articles continue to stand as reliable clickbait, the Twins still had the same logjams and the same areas that needed improvement, and free agents continue to find new teams. Derek Falvey has commented on the lateness with which the trade market has heated up in recent years, but it still feels like we are all waiting on the TV deal to fall into place before anything actually happens.
Recently, news broke that Diamond Sports might be pulling out of their death spiral thanks to a cash infusion from Amazon. Amazon will purchase the streaming rights that Diamond Sports owns, and presumably, will have access to regional sports network streaming opportunities in the future.
That means that in the end, the most likely suitor for the Twins television rights is the company that held them in the past. Now, though, they are getting those rights without the long time voice of the team, and the realization that there isn't much competition for said rights. But maybe now we can start the offseason.
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