Well, for a while it looked like it might reunion time for A.J. Pierzynski and the Minesota Twins, but, alas, no. He has signed with the Red Sox.
Yahoo! Sports reports the 2013 World Series champions have signed him to a one-year contract, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported first.
After word came out Sunday that Minnesota was making progress on a pact with A.J. Pierzynski, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reported that the former Twin will not be donning a Minnesota uniform next season.
Quoting multiple Major League team officials, Berardino said Pierzynski is looking for a multi-year deal and that two other clubs are in the mix.
However, ESPN also notes that the deal, which is pending a physical, is most likely for one year.
One source Berardino quotes said Pierzynski is unequivocally “not going there (Minnesota).”
In other words, it’s not hard to read between the lines that Pierzynski simply didn’t want to come back to Minnesota.
In another twist, this means the Red Sox are done with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who wanted a deal beyond two years but was never offered one. As BringMeTheNews reported earlier, some reports have said the Twins are interested in Saltalamacchia.
Lavelle E. Neal of the Star Tribune reported Sunday that Minnesota was making progress on a deal with Pierzynski, who spent the first six years of his career with Minnesota.
Pierzynski has long been the classic case of love-him-when-you-have-him, hate-him-when-you-don’t player, and was voted the most hated player in baseball in 2012.
Here’s the mixed reaction from fans on a possible A.J. return.
https://twitter.com/GooseOnSports/status/407700715214102529
Are the Twins really serious about bringing the universally hated AJ Pierzynski back to MN? I see nothing good in this.
— Robert Moffitt (@justplainbob) December 2, 2013
Would love to see AJ Pierzynski in a Twins uniform again. I think it's coming.#twins
— Brett Weeden (@BrettWeeden) December 2, 2013
If AJ Pierzynski signs with the Twins I will be able to muster up enough hate for them rather than my usual dose of apathy.
— joey votto hall of fame evangelist (@catswithbats) December 1, 2013
https://twitter.com/KirbysLeftEye/status/407304480317665280
Well done everyone.
