The Twins and Carl Pavano have agreed to a one year deal worth $7MM, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale (via Twitter). The contract does not include any incentives.
Pavano, 34, accepted the team's offer of arbitration earlier this offseason in lieu of exploring the open market as a Type-B free agent. He earned a $1.5MM base salary in 2009, though he picked up another $2.85MM in incentives based on starts and innings pitched. Between Cleveland and Minnesota, Pavano posted a 5.10 ERA in 199.1 innings, 53.2 more than he threw in his four years with the Yankees.
Overpaid
I’m not in love with the price, but Pavano was a 3.7 WAR pitcher last season. A 4.00 FIP with minimal walks and a decent GB% looks good, given the Twins’ infield defense in 2010 (assuming we sign one more defensively-capable infielder).
It could be worse… we could’ve not offered Pavano arb at all, and then decided to spend this $7MM on Jarrod Washburn. *Shudder*
A chill just went up my spine!!
A chill just went up my spine!!
Just remember – they gave Lamb, Monroe and Everett 10.4 mil in ’08. At least this guy proved something last year. Plus it’s only 2 mil more than they gave Livan the same year – who I still contend did exactly what he was brought in to do. This guy is better than that, barring injury.
What did he prove? Guy posted an ERA over 5 pitching in a very mediocre AL Central. How that is worth $7m I just don’t understand.
I guess on a positive note some people were speculating that his price tag could be as high as $10m.
Just remember – they gave Lamb, Monroe and Everett 10.4 mil in ’08. At least this guy proved something last year. Plus it’s only 2 mil more than they gave Livan the same year – who I still contend did exactly what he was brought in to do. This guy is better than that, barring injury.
Yeah…way overpaid. Pavano was probably stoked when he got this offer. He is a decent #4 or #5, but this money is #2 or #3 starter type money, which Pavano isn’t really worth.
$7MM for a #2 starter would be pretty cheap. I agree it’s about the price of a good #3 starter, and while Pavano’s no guarantee to be that, he’s at least capable of doing so.
If he stays healthy, he should be able to at least approach this value. I’d prefer a couple million less, or something more incentive-laden, but it’s not the worst contract doled out this offseason.
And I thought the Twins were smart with their money…
Coming from someone named after a signing in which the Cardinals outbid themselves by about two years and $30MM?
Besides, the Twins haven’t been smart with their money for several years now. Our recent free agent signings include one-year deals for Livan Hernandez, Ramon Ortiz, Sidney Ponson, and Rondell White. That’s to say nothing of a two-year deal for Mike Lamb, or trading for Craig Monroe to pay him $3.8MM or so.
The Twins’ front office, unfortunately, has been consistently underwhelming in terms of trades and free agency.
Cardinals overpaid? Hmmm he wanted 20 million a year and he got 17 million a year….
Now back to the Twins I believed they were smart by keeping their payroll low and buying a team, but I guess I over looked bad deals. I’m just glad my team has been burned on one move all decade…This move included trading Dan Haren for Mulder, and then giving Mulder tons of money for 4 years of the worst pitching I’ve ever seen since Mike Maroth as a Cardinal.
Holy chicken and Waffles batman. They over paid by about 4M
slight overpay….might look worse if this is their last move of the offseason.
New ballpark money! Gives them another 200 innings, OK deal. Not like he has a history of his arm falling off or anything…
Of course not, he just like to run into trees and stuff like that you know.
Of course not, he just like to run into trees and stuff like that you know.
New ballpark money! Gives them another 200 innings, OK deal. Not like he has a history of his arm falling off or anything…
Nice of Bill Smith to push himself back from the table at Old Country Buffet to get this done. Isn’t there a certain catcher he should be talking to now?
Nice of Bill Smith to push himself back from the table at Old Country Buffet to get this done. Isn’t there a certain catcher he should be talking to now?
Should have gotten more like 5 million.
Dang 1 yr 7 Million and it’s not a guy named Hudson or Tejada to play 2B or 3B. Guess it don’t hurt to have 9 SP’s (Slowey, Baker, Blackburn, Liriano, Duensing, Perkins, Swarzak, Manship, Pavano). So how many innings for Pavano till he is on the DL 70? He had more innings with 2/3 of a season with CLE than he did with 4 yrs in NY and a 1/3 season in MIN
the 200 innings pitched last year is nice, everything else not so much. I don’t get this
I’m glad he’s in the fold, he’s a great influence to all of the twins young pitchers. He will be good to have for a year and should benefit from some better run support than what he recieved from cleveland. I like it.