MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins have never been in the business of handing out mega-contracts in free agency. Their largest free-agent deal for a pitcher outside the organization is Ervin Santana's four-year, $55 million contract, while Jason Castro's three-year, $24.5 million deal is their biggest for a position player.
It doesn't mean the Twins haven't had success in free agency, however, as they've signed many key contributors over the years. But Minnesota's best is Hall of Famer and current Twins manager Paul Molitor's two-year, $5.5 million deal signed before the 1996 season.
At the time of the deal, Molitor was 39 years old and coming off a down year, by his standards, with the Blue Jays.