While the wait is on for the Twins to officially announce the signing of righthander Mike Pelfrey to a one-year deal, the Twins continue to look into other starting pitching options.
A source with knowledge of negotiations on Wednesday confirmed that the Twins remain interested in lefthander Joe Saunders. The Twins offered a contract to Saunders in recent weeks.
Twins General Manager Terry Ryan would not comment on free agent signings on Wednesday.
Saunders, 31, was 9-13 with a 4.07 ERA last season in stints with Arizona and Baltimore. He was 3-3, 3.63 for the Orioles as he assisted in their playoff push, then posted a 1.59 ERA in two postseason starts.
The Twins better shore up their infield defense, given the way they are assembling their 2013 rotation. Saunders is far from a strikeout artist, and he would be joining a staff already with three ground ball pitchers in Pelfrey, Scott Diamond and Kevin Correia.
Diamond ranked 10th in the majors in ground ball percentage, according to fangraphs.com, while Correia, who was signed last week, ranked 17th. Both averaged just 4.68 strikeouts per nine innings. The Twins have drafted and traded for power pitching prospects, but it won't be evident on the 2013 Twins.
Pelfrey, meanwhile, was in the Twin Cities this week for a physical and had dinner with a friend Tuesday night. Indications are that Pelfrey picked the Twins over the Royals, who were in the running because Pelfrey is from Wichita, Kan., and pitched at Wichita State.
Though Pelfrey had Tommy John surgery on May 1, there were no indications of any problems with his physical exam as of Wednesday.
