Minnesota Twins Daily Dish: Angels, Fryer and qualifying offers
By Jerry Burnes
Welcome to your daily dose of Minnesota Twins news, recapping the last 24 hours on the Hot Stove.
Up until details were announced, it appeared the Los Angeles Angels removed themselves from Trevor Plouffe trade contention. But alas, they remain a potential trade partner for the Minnesota Twins.
The Angels traded for shortstop Andrelton Simmons, sending, among others, Erick Aybar to the Atlanta Braves. An earlier edition of the Daily Dish lumped the Angels in the mix for Plouffe with incumbent David Freese electing free agency. Moving Aybar, who could have shifted to third base, leaves L.A. open.
Orange County Register’s Jeff Fletcher named Cam Bedrosian, a power bullpen arm, as part of the possible return for Plouffe, which fits the market for the third baseman if dealt outside a package deal.
Other Twins news and notes:
The St. Louis Cardinals signed former Twins catcher Eric Fryer to a minor league deal. Fryer was outrighted by the Twins and elected free agency. Fryer, 30, has played 65 games in five part-time seasons with the Pirates and Twins, batting .243/.329/.336 with two home runs and 11 RBIs.
ESPN’s Buster Olney reports teams with protected first round picks don’t seem inclined to go spending in free agency. The Phillies, Reds, Braves, Rockies, Brewers, A’s, Marlins, Padres, Tigers and White Sox all have protected picks. That’s significant because it may end up limiting where free agents with a qualifying offer can land, and tempt a few teams to stack said free agents to maximize the return from lost draft picks.
Of course, another other logical step is for free agents with qualifying offers to accept them, risk a one-year deal — albeit a lucrative deal of $15.8 million — and return to the free agency field in 2017. Colby Rasmus has reportedly accepted the Astros qualifying offer.