The Boston Red Sox weren’t the only team interested in signing catcher A.J. Pierzynski over the offseason.
Minnesota Twins president Dave St. Peter on Monday said his club made a “significant offer” to Pierzynski, among other free agents, before the veteran backstop signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the defending World Series champions.
“We made offers to Matt Garza — a very significant offer. We made a significant offer to Ervin Santana. We made a significant offer to A.J. Pierzynski. We made a significant offer to Rajai Davis. There were a number of guys,” St. Peter said Monday on 1500 ESPN’s “Mackey & Judd Show.”
Pierzynski was drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 1994 draft, and he appeared in parts of six seasons with the major league club before being traded to the San Francisco Giants after the 2003 season. The 37-year-old now is with his fifth organization and in the midst of his 17th big league season.
“The reality of it is we tried to spend more money this offseason,” said St. Peter, whose Twins have lost at least 96 games each of the last three seasons. “We probably found out the hard way we were going to have to overpay in certain spots. We offered more money to certain guys who chose to go elsewhere. It is what it is, but as the season progresses and we can do something that we think is a good baseball decision, the money will be there to allocate.”
Pierzynski was an attractive catching option for the Red Sox largely because he was available on a one-year deal. The two-time All-Star features some pop and brings plenty of experience, though, so it’s no wonder other teams, like the Twins, were hot on his heels.
