Today was the deadline for a couple of items on MLB teams’ to-do lists. One was to action any club options they they could exercise (and players to do the same for any player options) and the second was to extend any qualifying offers to eligible players. The Minnesota Twins did both within the past hours.
The Twins have decided to decline the club option on Martin Perez for 2020; he was due $7.5 million. Instead, Pérez will be paid a $500,000 buyout of the option. This decision does not come as a surprise as the lefty hurler saw a strong first half tumble into a semi-disastrous second half. He ended the year with a 5.12 ERA (90 ERA+) in 32 outings (29 starts), logging 165.1 innings of work with 135 strikeouts against 67 walks. Pérez will now test free agency for the second off-season in a row.
Minnesota also made another decision today regarding a pending free agent. They have extended a qualifying offer to Jake Odorizzi. Odorizzi was eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Twins as he has not been offered one in the past and he was also with the team the entire season. Qualifying offers are always for one year, but the amount paid to the player changes as it is dictated by the average of the top 125 MLB contracts for the season. This year, it is $17.8 million. Odorizzi has ten days to make a decision about taking or rejecting the offer. If he rejects it, he hits the free agent market and Minnesota receives a compensation pick in the MLB Draft.
The qualifying offer to Odorizzi isn’t really much of a surprise either. It was more so if the Twins would actually extend the offer or not. Odo was a top starter this year for Minnesota, earning All-Star honors by posting a 3.51 ERA (131 ERA+) in 30 starts and 159 innings of work. He recorded a 10.1 K/9 and 0.9 HR/9, both career-bests. He’ll be entering his age-30 season in 2020.