9:10 p.m. EST update: Capps will earn $4.5 million in 2012, according to ESPN 1500’s Darren Wolfson. The option is worth $6 million and includes a $250,000 buyout.
6:55 p.m. EST update: Capps and the Twins have a deal for one year with an option for 2013, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports.
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Matt Capps will likely re-sign with the Twins, a source tells Steve Popper of the Bergen Record.
While no one else is confirming the news, it could be telling that the Red Sox are now out of the hunt for Capps, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
A Capps-Twins reunion seemed highly unlikely a few months ago, what with Capps routinely getting booed off the mound on his way to blowing nine saves during a rough 2011 season. He did pitch somewhat better late in the year as a setup man for Joe Nathan, but he was never dominant at any point. More discouraging than his 4.25 ERA was the fact that he fanned just 34 batters in 65 2/3 innings. He struck out 59 in 73 innings for Washington and Minnesota in 2010.
Capps, though, is a better fit in Target Field than he would be most anywhere else. He gives up a lot of long flyballs, but most of those turn into outs in Minnesota and he hardly ever walks anyone. It’d still probably make more sense for the Twins to take the draft pick they’d get with his departure and go sign Octavio Dotel instead, but Capps probably will pitch somewhat better in 2012.
