Blackburn signs 4-year deal
The Twins have signed pitcher Nick Blackburn to a 4-year $14MM contract, buying out all of his remaining arbitration eligible years. The deal also comes with an $8MM club option for the 2014 season.
Blackburn has been a mainstay in the starting rotation for the past two seasons, starting in 33 games each season and finishing with an identical 11-11 win/loss record, with an ERA of 4.05 and 4.03. While he is not a strike out pitcher, averaging only 4.43 per nine innings and has yet to pass 100 per season, Blackburn has great control and averages 1.80 walks per nine innings.
General manager Bill Smith stated that management tries to identify players in the offseason that are a good fit for multiyear contracts and said that Blackburn fits the bill. “He’s had two remarkably consistent seasons. He threw 200 innings last year, and he’s pitched a lot of big games for us over the last two years,” said Smith about Blackburn.
Having Blackburn in a Twins uniform through at least 2013 is a great move by the Twins. Now, if they’d only sign the player that looks a lot like Blackburn but a couple inches taller and wears a catchers mask, than there would be cause for a celebration.
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