Twins to pay Pelfrey $4M in one-year deal
Astros agree to oneyear, $2.9 million contract with Carlos Pena to be the DH.
Mike Pelfrey once was a promising prospect for the New York Mets, a groundball-inducing machine who chewed up innings and bats with a hard sinker that tumbled out of his 6-foot-7 frame.
He’s 28 years old now, coming off of Tommy John surgery and was sitting in the free agent bargain bin, which is where the Minnesota Twins have been shopping for starting pitchers all offseason.
The Twins agreed to terms with the righthander on a $4 million, one-year contract Tuesday, adding him to the mix in a starting rotation filled with “pitch-to-contact” guys who rely more on their defense making plays behind them than they do striking hitters out with overpowering stuff.
Pelfrey went 50-54 with a 4.36 ERA in seven seasons with the Mets, including a four-year run in which he pitched at least 184 innings and topped 200 innings twice. But he has averaged just 5.1 strikeouts per nine innings, which means he fits right in with a Twins rotation built on light-throwing, location-oriented arms.
He missed almost all of last season after having the ligament replacement surgery.
Astros: Houston agreed to a $2.9 million, one-year contract with Carlos Pena, who will be the designated hitter, addressing a key need as the team prepares for its first season in the American League. Pena, 34, also can play first base.
Athletics: Oakland finalized a $6.5 million, two-year contract with Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima on Tuesday, filling a void created by the departures of Cliff Pennington and Stephen Drew. Nakajima, 30, is an eight-time All-Star in Japan and a three-time Gold Glove winner. He has a .302 career batting average with 162 homers in 11 seasons with the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions.
Phillies: John Lannan signed a $2.5 million, oneyear contract on Tuesday, adding depth to a rotation that lost starter Vance Worley when he was traded away. Lannan, 28, was 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA in six starts for the NL Eastchampion Washington Nationals this year.
Rays: Tampa Bay has signed right-hander Roberto Hernandez, the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona. The one-year deal is worth $3.25 million. Hernandez, who is 32, has pitched seven years in the majors, all with Cleveland. He was 0-3 with a 7.53 ERA last season. Hernandez was arrested last winter in the Dominican Republic on false identity charges. They were dropped after he completed a work program.
Red Sox: Boston reached a $9.5 million, one-year agreement with shortstop Stephen Drew. Drew hit .250 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 39 games for the Oakland Athletics last season after being traded by Arizona on Aug. 20. In 40 games with the Diamondbacks, he hit .193 with two homers and 12 RBIs. Boston also finalized a $4.25 million, one-year contract with reliever Koji Uehara, who had a 1.75 ERA last season for Texas.