4:15pm: The Twins are not one of the teams interested in Messenger at this time, MLBTR has learned.
3:51pm: MLBTR's Tim Dierkes tweets that Messenger's offer from Hanshin is worth $10MM over three years, plus $5MM worth of incentives. That would explain why Messenger is looking for a comparable amount on a two-year deal to return to the Majors.
3:46pm: Right-hander Randy Messenger has set a Nov. 15 deadline to field offers from Major League teams, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The 32-year-old has revived his career by posted three dominant seasons for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball — a team that has already extended him a three-year offer, as MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reported last month.
That three-year offer, which could reach $15MM after incentives according to Passan, is the reason for the deadline, as Hanshin would like an answer to their proposal by mid-month. Messenger, a Sosnick/Cobbe Sports client, is looking for a two-year deal worth $8-10MM to return to Major League Baseball. Passan reports that multiple teams have offered one-year deals, while one team has pushed the boundaries to one year plus an option.
Messenger's resurgence is in part due to the addition of an effective splitter, and some scouts have seen his fastball touch 96 mph (though it usually sits 92-93 mph), Pasan writes. A former member of the Giants and Mariners, Messenger has posted a 2.75 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 543 innings out Hanshin's rotation from 2011-13. He was particularly impressive in 2013, boosting his K/9 to 8.4 and firing six complete games, including a trio of shutouts.
The Twins were said to have interest in Messenger last offseason, though it's unclear at this time if they're one of the teams that has made an offer.
