The Major League Baseball Winter Meetings wrap up today in Florida and by all accounts the Twins are not done looking for another starting pitcher.
The Star Tribune reported last night that the Twins could announce a new deal with Mike Pelfrey as early as today. The latest is that they aren’t that far away from a deal.
Another report says the Twins are one of a handful of teams interested in catcher Kurt Suzuki. Minnesota struck out on attempts to sign A.J. Pierzynski and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and with Josmil Pinto being shut down for the winter, the Twins are in a precarious spot at the catcher position.
The MLB Rule 5 draft, which consists of Triple-A and Double-A phases, was held today and the Twins selected a couple of relief pitchers.
Kevin Thomas, a 27-year-old right-hander, was the pick in the Triple-A draft. According to the Pioneer Press, Thomas has a 95 mph fastball. He struck out 11.3 batters per nine innings last season while pitching in the Cardinals’ farm system.
In the Double-A draft, the Twins picked Jim Fuller, a left-hander from the New York Mets’ farm system. Fuller posted a 0.84 ERA in 16 appearances before faltering down the stretch last season.
Interestingly enough, the Texas Rangers selected Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russel Wilson in the third-round of the Triple-A draft. He hit .229 with five home runs at Class A for the Colorado Rockies before he became a star in the NFL.
