Twins express interest in Brandon McCarthy

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

According to the Oakland Atheletics’ transaction page, Brandon McCarthy elected free agency on November 3.  You might remember him from what is probably the worst injury of the 2012 season:

The injury doesn’t seem to be be stopping suitors, and rumor has it that the Minnesota Twins have at least kicked the tires on McCarthy:

McCarthy has played with the Chicago White Sox, the Texas Rangers, and the Oakland Athletics.  During several of his major league seasons, McCarthy has battled injuries or has spent time in the minors that have kept him off the major league field for a sizable chunk of the season.  Notably, he played only 5 major league games during the 2008 season and 17 and 18 games during 2009 and 2012, respectively.  While he played 11 minor leagues games in 2010, he played none at the major league level.

So, what’s the upside on McCarthy?  CBSSports.com points out that McCarthy has gone from giving up frequent home runs to inducing a high number of ground balls.  Twins fans might call that “pitching to contact”.  In the last two years, McCarthy has started 43 games, owned a 3.29 ERA, and earned a 17-15 record.

That the Twins have expressed interest in him does not automatically put him on the roster.  For one, Twins’ GM Terry Ryan has been clear that free agency is not the Twins’ favorite place to shop for pitching.  There are also several teams that have expressed interest in McCarthy, including the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays.  McCarthy himself has expressed interest in staying with the A’s.

For now, you might want to add @BMcCarthy32 to your list of “people to follow” on Twitter.  His wit and sarcasm are a good read.  And McCarthy is a name Twins fans should put on your Hot Stove League list of “players to watch” this offseason.  He could be an intriguing signing if the Twins land him.