Jake Odorizzi Intends to Stay With Twins and Take Qualifying Offer Unless Talks Intensify Quickly
By Adam Weinrib
Take one mid-tier starting pitching option off the free agent market...unless some team wants to act fast?
Jake Odorizzi, fresh off a bounce back year in Minnesota and still just 29 years old, may not explore free agency this offseason after all.
Mired in a high-dollar pitching market that includes Gerrit Cole, Madison Bumgarner, Stephen Strasburg and Zack Wheeler, among others, Odorizzi will reportedly accept the $17.8 million qualifying offer and remain in Minnesota, wading back into the pool for a multi-year deal next season.
can confirm @Ken_Rosenthal that unless teams get more aggressive in next few hours, Odorizzi intends to take $17.8M quaifying offer and stay with #Twins. Belief is can do better next ofseason if repeats strong ’19 plus weaker fr agt SP market (Paxton/Ray/Stroman) then now.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 14, 2019
If he repeats the season he posted in 2019 (15-7, 3.51), he'll have an easier time standing out in next year's field, highlighted by Marcus Stroman and James Paxton (who very well might get extended by the Yanks).
In recent days, Odorizzi's been connected to the Blue Jays, though it seems he finds their offer less appealing than one year's worth of expensive security in Minnesota.
With the Toronto Blue Jays being linked to Jake Odorizzi, now's the perfect time to check out this deep dive into the pros, cons, & obstacles of signing the right-hander. (@kaitlyncmcgrath)
— The Athletic Toronto (@TheAthleticTO) November 14, 2019
How many years should Toronto be willing to offer him?https://t.co/TAyKm9fmsd
Some pitchers prefer one-year gigs anyway, like Trevor Bauer, who has vowed to only accept such pacts moving forward. If Odorizzi does head back to a place he was clearly comfortable last year, and doesn't take any real form of discount, that'll make perfect sense.