Skeleton Crew, the show that could have been anywhere

The world is nuts right now. It's probably always been nuts, but now it's all on TV, everyone knows it's nuts, and everything keeps happening faster and faster. Somehow, in the 50 years since Star Wars first came out, we've moved into a spot where, instead of a lark, looking at a technologically advanced world of adventure, it is, at it's best, a quiet return to a simpler time. To wit, Skeleton Crew was tremendous. 

The sequel trilogy really struggled, particularly in the final installment, and part of the issue was that it continued to try to consume the entire galaxy in it's breadth. It took every thing from the Star Wars universe and just threw it into the same pot. The Last Jedi was disparaged by some, but a thing I appreciated about it was the bid to make Star Wars more tactile again, and make the movie smaller in scope. It wasn't perfect, but it set something up that could have been much better. 

It seems as though Lucasfilm is figuring out something I have thought for a while. We don't necessarily need fan service at every offering, but simply good stories that live in the universe. It's such a sandbox to work with, and feeling a need to return to Palpatine and the Skywalkers at every turn only drags things down.

The Mandalorian worked because they featured new characters as leads. Personalities and arcs could go anywhere, and need only graze the existing canon. The Book of Boba Fett was disappointing in many ways, but a big cause was bringing a galactically important character with an already remarkable backstory AND following, and tried to shoehorn a story around that.

Recent disappointment and burnout drove poor viewership to The Acolyte, but it wasn't a bad show. It was a moody character driven mystery that sort of typified where Star Wars is at. It felt more akin to Andor and Skeleton Crew than to the core films. It was a decent show that had the trappings of Star Wars, but didn't need to be trapped in them. Andor and Skeleton Crew took this mindset and executed it even better.

Andor is a gritty war series that demystifies the idea of war, and brought the origins of a rebellion to a grass roots level. The fact that Cassian Andor was in Rogue One was incidental. It felt like the major plot points and internal motivations could have come from our timeline, or at least they seemed recognizable and real. 

Skeleton Crew was basically a kids adventure that was well written enough that grown ups got into it as well. There was almost no correlation to the extended Star Wars universe, except to provide the setting, rather than fixed plot destinations, and the show itself felt more like Goonies in space than another typical Star Wars offering. 

And that's where the Lucasfilm offerings have excelled. It excels when Andor's renegade is allowed to be a renegade, and the kids in Skeleton Crew are allowed to be kids, and heck, Luke Skywalker in a New Hope was a bored teen, and was allowed to be a bored teen, and all of whom happen to be in a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars is best when it is not making itself a character. 

The big move: Diego Cartaya

 According to the Athletic, the Twins sale may be completed by opening day. That is certainly an accelerated timeline as compared to other team sales both in baseball, and other sports in this market. To say the news is a shock is quite the understatement. 

It also renders all of the "reduced payroll" talk irrelevant. What do the Pohlads care what the season's payroll is if they aren't going to own the team? This seems even more on point than it did a couple weeks when I first made the point. The Pohlads now have no financial incentive to do anything for the Twins, either spending or saving.

So the next question would then go to the future owner of the team for payroll questions. Unfortunately, by the sound of it, there are multiple suitors, and the market is robust. The front office has absolutely no guidance on finances. And they might not until opening day.

So in this fog of war, the first 10 days of January may be the high water mark for the team's offseason. The arbitration process was settled for all players, and the Twins made a pretty decent trade given the limitations they face. If you are the headline skipping type, let me tell you: the Twins acquired catching prospect Diego Cartaya from the Dodgers for a low level pitching prospect.

Cartaya was a top 50 prospect as recently as two years ago, but was pushed out of LA's plans because of the talent on the roster but also because Cartaya wasn't hitting at the Double A level. Still all accounts seem to suggest that there is no issue with his glove behind the plate. The Twins have an offense forward catcher in Ryan Jeffers already, and one way or another, Christian Vazquez's time with the team is limited. There is a path for Cartaya and the Twins as soon as next year.

It's a good move for the Twins and new GM Jeremy Zoll. It will shore up the roster without affecting the team finances too substantially as a sale approaches. With everything coming to a head in a few short weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last we hear from Zoll, or the MLB Trade Rumors app for the rest of the offseason. 

It's not an unexpectedly quiet offseason, though perhaps it isn't as terrible as we though. And really, it's not that much worse than the Terry Ryan years. 

I still don't believe it

 The Pohlads continue to cry poor as their ownership of the Twins nears it's conclusion. As we all know, the Pohlads are extremely wealthy, but they treat the Twins as a revenue source instead of a baseball team, and are guided by that philosophy. The small market, smallish stadium Twins are low on revenue compared to other teams, which, for a revenue minded group, might as well label the team as poor. 

But the Pohlads are selling, and will be flush with cash as soon as the team is off their hands. Everything is a business for that family, and right now, the product most on our minds is the team itself, and not how it produces on the field. There was a statement early in the offseason that the payroll would stay about the same as it was in 2024. Through arbitration and contractual acceleration, the payroll was already over what it was last year, and the interpretation was that the Twins would be cutting some players off the roster, looking for takers for Chris Paddack, Willi Castro and/or Cristian Vazquez. 

That was before news of the team being for sale, with an initial valuation suspected to be at about 1.7 billion dollars. I've already speculated that a potential buyer might not appreciate the team getting rid of players before the team was sold, and frankly, the thought of that might give the Pohlads pause before going through with such trades. They would certainly sacrifice an extra $15m if it meant securing the $1.7b sale. You would pay $15 if it meant getting $1,700, right?

But I've made that case already, and I want to make a different one. If the Twins were really looking to offload one of the contracts I mentioned, other squads would be clamoring for the affordable prices, given the large contracts being awarded this offseason. 7 million for a #5 starter? That's less than Patrick Sandoval is getting from the Red Sox, and Paddack has historically been better than Sandoval. If there was a deal to be made, and the Twins were ready to deal, I'm sure an offer is already out there. 

I think the reality of the situation is that even if the Twins were able to jettison some contracts, there isn't a good way to affordably backfill those spots. Trading away larger contracts is even more problematic, both for the baseball minds, but also the business minds hoping the Twins remain attractive. I think it's less likely today that the Twins are going to scale back their payroll this offseason than it was at the beginning of the offseason.

None of this means, of course, that the Twins are going to be expanding the payroll. Oh no, no, no. While the Pohlads are still controlling the purse strings, it's unlikely that the organization will have any interest in substantial payroll additions, even if they might be warranted, particularly with a right handed bat, or a steady first baseman. Instead, look for more nibbles at minor league free agents, like Mike Ford, who was signed earlier this week, and my end up playing some first for the Twins. 

It's not exciting, but it's also a bit less depressing. I just don't see the Twins doing much of anything for the rest of the winter. 

Just be yourself

 I think there is a reason that so many people have a fascination with female pop stars, something that goes beyond the infatuation with celebrity. It might be anecdotal, but dreams of singing fame seem more common in little girls than they do in little boys. Again, anecdotal, but it also seems that the boys who become singers seem insufferable and inauthentic. So many pop women, especially when they first arrive on the scene remind people of themselves or at least someone they know.

2024, if you were to label it as the "Year of" anyone, would obviously be Taylor Swift, as it has been through recent memory, but a good choice for second place would be Sabrina Carpenter, who had multiple top 5 hits throughout the year. Obviously, I (nor probably the readership here, I realize) am not the market for either of their music, but here I am with opinions. I find Carpenter far less interesting, musically, than her counterparts.

Carpenter is tied to Olivia Rodrigo through some drama that you are welcome to research on your own time, but for the purposes of this post, Rodrigo is a good contrast to Carpenter. It is clear that Rodrigo has been jilted in the past, and even at 21, has incorporated whatever pain she has felt into her song writing. It's made for better music. It's helped her make the transition from singer to musician. Swift did it too. The artists who resonate, particularly with me, are the ones who you can really feel in their music. 

It's great to be joyful, but you don't know true joy or growth without a little pain. Carpenter seems so effervescent, too poppy. Either she's never had a bad day, or she isn't putting enough of herself into her music, both of which are a deterrent to being as good as she could be. She falls into the traps that men have. A lack of authenticity, dragging down likability. 

As with all music posts, we all have our own tastes, and nobody is wrong for having things hit your ears the way they do. I like pop music well enough, and this was pretty much written as I tried to figure out why the (second) hottest pop star bothered me. Take it all with a grain of salt, and please, every one -- Have a happy new year