With the likes of Ben Sheets and Jon Garland now signed, FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi provided an update on Jarrod Washburn, one of the few high-profile arms left on the rapidly-dwindling free agent pitching market. Morosi quotes one source who said that Washburn only wants to play in “a limited number of places,” and another source who says he "would be surprised" if the lefty went anywhere besides Minnesota or Seattle.
The Twins have made one attempt to sign Washburn: an offer worth roughly $5MM that was rejected earlier this month. Given Minnesota's signing of Carl Pavano to serve as the veteran anchor of their rotation, Washburn would've been a luxury that the Twins may feel that they can live without.
As for the Mariners, we've heard some whispers that they might be interested in bringing Washburn back to the city where he pitched from 2006 to last year's trade deadline. The M's have already spent a lot of money this offseason, but Washburn might be enticed to return to a familiar situation for a contract akin to the one he turned down from Minnesota. Then again, Washburn is a Scott Boras client, so a bargain could be hard to come by.
Another source tells Morosi that six teams "have inquired" about Washburn. Aside from Minnesota and Seattle, we've heard Washburn linked to such suitors as Milwaukee (who are probably out of the running after signing Randy Wolf and Doug Davis), Kansas City and the Mets. Morosi also points out that the Cubs could join the Washburn sweepstakes in the wake of missing out on Sheets.
Aww jeez not this again! Just go to Seattle already, or Jered i dont care… just dont come to minnesota.
Haha, I hate those comercials!
Anyways with Washburn being a flyball pitcher it really doesn’t fall into the strength of the Twin’s defense.
He should have taken the 5 million the Twins offered. He probably won’t see that again this season. Boras got too cocky for his own good.
If you’re not a marquee player, Boras seems to pass on the best possible offer all-too-frequently.
Boras also screwed Damon. He could’ve had a multi-year deal with the Yanks.
I just hope somebody else signs him before the Twins reconsider.
Mariners should sign him. Luke French for free.
I’d love for him to come back to Seattle, for 5m that is. Hernandez, Lee, Washburn =sweep.
I’d go gor 2 million tops, considering what Doug Davis, a better pitcher, signed for
Believe this Twins fan when he says he’s rooting for you on this one!
Mets going to lose him too.
Looks like they just might. FA’s are dropping like flys and the Mets just can’t seem to catch any. I guess they have a plan though.
“Morosi quotes a source who said that Garland only wants to play in “a limited number of places,” namely Minnesota and Seattle.”
May want to fix this.
Yeah, Mark you made a little of a mistake there but either the Mariners or the Twins would be a great fit for Washburn. If he’s more compfortable in a M’s uniform, I think the Mariners should re-sign him.
If he wanted to play in Minnesota so bad, he should have accepted the 5 million they offered him (it was about 4 million too much if you ask me).
Of all the things the Twins need, another 5th starter is way way way way way down on the list. PLEASE!!! Somebody sign this guy before my beloved Twins make another horrible mistake!
Washburn’s welcome in Seattle… at $3MM. He ain’t gonna do no better now.
Hey Jarrod – you’re doing it wrong!
Borass is great for the big guys. The others, not so much.
Bill, you just made a good move, no need to make a bad one. Stay Away!
HernandezLeeWashburnRowland-SmithSnellLooks pretty decent to me.
There is a reason you don’t pitch 3 lefties in a row. Washburn is washed up… I’d rather have a guy like Braden Looper or even Pedro. Jack Z, are you listening?
Washburn was pretty good when he was with the Mariners last year. I think he’s getting bashed a little too harshly here. Perhaps he just worked well with the picthing coach which gave him some more confidence. I don’t know, but there is really no other better option out there besided Erik Bedard which won’t happen. So make Washburn a 4th starter at a 4 million dollar deal and I’d be content.
Good top 2, last 3 SUCK
if the twins sign it can only be for 1mil or less
dont do anything stupid bill smith
Though not my first choice by any means… if I was to guess i’d say odds are pretty good Washburn ends up in Seattle again. Hopefully the deal is $4 mil or less. I’d rather find a trade partner but that may not be entirely possible.
Washburn’s value lies in Seattle, where he would have an amazing defense to mask his horrid pitching stats. In fact, he’s only had one year where his FIP was under 4.35 in his entire career, and only three years with it under 4.45.
I don’t understand all the negativity with Washburn, forget some of his bad years, he relearned how to pitch last year with Rick Adair, and he was really really happy in Seattle. He started throwing what was tagged as “the dolphin” which was a 65-73 mph sweeping curve. Nobody could really say he was’nt a changed pitcher last year (8-6 2.64 ERA in 133 innings with Seattle) yes he struggled with Detroit but his knee was injured much more than it seemed to be in Seattle, not to mention he may have been a little distracted by pitching for a new team for the first time in almost 5 years. He was solid with Seattle, almost a guarenteed 6-8 innings, not to mention his 1 HITTER!!
Not even sure how to respond to that…
Washburn is not a good pitcher anymore. He was helped by last year’s incredible outfield defense – put him in the Tigers outfield, and you saw what happened. His xFIP in Seattle was 4.50, which is basically his ERA if you takeout the incredible outfield that included Franklin, Ichiro and Endy Chavez (for part of the season) and the pitcher park Safeco.
And really, the one hitter means practically nothing. A ton of pitchers in ML history that have been crap/below average have thrown one-hitters, even some no-hitters. It doesn’t make them good or worthy of a starting rotation spot.
If you can sell this line of thinking to Seattle’s front office I’ll be thrilled. Go get ’em tiger!
(It should be pointed out that I’m not a Mariner’s fan, I’m a Twins fan, and I think you’re crazy. He’s not going to ever do anything like those 133 innings again. I think everyone knows it too, which is why Doug Davis and John Garland and the rest of the #4 guys are being fitted for uniforms and he’s at home hoping Boras hasn’t forgotten him.)
I never said he should get paid 5 Mill, he’s probably gonna though. And im pretty sure if he stayed healthy he would be around 190-225 innings. And FIP can be very VERY hard to predict sense so much is factored in, which is why it’s rarely used.
R Y A N – You can’t say FIP is like ERA, Washburn had a 3.78 ERA last season. In the ML 3.78-4.50 is a huge difference. with Seattle it was 2.64 that’s amazing. And if the seattle defense helped him, great its gonna be even better this year with Kotchman, Figgins and Jack Wilson along with the outfield Defense!!!!!
Washburn’s 3.78 ERA is the whole point — you should be looking more at his FIP than his ridiculous Seattle-defense-bolstered ERA here. And yes, the Seattle defense might be amazing, but why would you ever care to overpay an infinitely replaceable pitcher (see: stable of 4/5 starters the M’s already have) just because the OF defense masks his weaknesses? Why not just use some random AAAA / fringe starter and let them have at it for the league minimum?