Minnesota Twins pitcher Andrew Albers has tentative deal to pitch in Korea
By Brad Rowland
Just a few months after being named as the Minor League pitcher of the year for the Minnesota Twins organization, left-hander Andrew Albers is reportedly headed to Korea for the 2014 season.
Blake Corosky, Andrew Albers' agent, confirms a tentative deal is in place with Hanwha but #mntwins must negotiate a buyout w/Eagles.
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) January 21, 2014
Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has been on top of the Albers story all morning, and is reporting that there is a tentative agreement in place to send Albers overseas, pending a buyout from the Twins. The hold-up in Albers’ ability to freely sign with Hanwha is that he is a member of Minnesota’s 40-man roster, and the Twins are seeking a substantial buyout to secure his rights.
In 2013, the 28-year-old lefty reached the Majors for the first time, throwing 60 innings in 10 starts and putting up a very reasonable 4.05 ERA with the Twins. Still, Albers is considered to be a “fringy” prospect, and because of that, it appears as if the monetary gain by going to Korea is substantial enough where he’s taken the bait.
Agent Blake Corosky wouldn't comment on tentative terms, but I'm told Albers would sign for 1 year at somewhere north of $500,000. #mntwins
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) January 21, 2014
Berardino’s assertion of a deal for “north of $500,000” is certainly the carrot at the end of the line for Albers, and because it is a 1-year deal, it seems like a very reasonable move by his camp. At the end of 2014, he can explore other options in the U.S. and because he would be a free agent, he could very likely negotiate a lucrative deal if he performs well. Stay tuned.