Carl Pavano, Twins Nearing Two-Year Contract Agreement

After entering the offseason as arguably the second-best available free agent starting pitcher, the Carl Pavano rumors have flown around at a steady pace. The veteran has been tied most strongly to the Twins, the Nationals, the Pirates, and the Brewers, with a few other teams hanging out on the periphery. Despite so many other teams having interest, though, it was believed from day one that Pavano's best fit would be re-signing with the Twins, and sure enough, that seems to be the outcome of all this.

According to Ken Rosenthal, Pavano and the Twins are nearing a contract agreement believed to be two years in length. Pavano has been seeking a three-year contract, comparable to those signed by Ted Lilly and Jorge de la Rosa, but Minnesota is a good, familiar environment for him, and it seems he may be making a concession.

Pavano - who turns 35 in two days - has spent the last year and a half with the Twins, eating up innings and further distancing himself from his previous disaster with the Yankees. Last season, over 32 starts, he posted a 3.75 ERA while throwing 221 innings, and by getting him re-signed, the Twins fill a rotation hole behind Francisco Liriano. While Pavano is no spring chicken, he's still able to pound the strike zone, and as long as he's able to maintain his command, he'll be effective.