Agent says Ayala joining Twins
The Minnesota Twins, looking for bullpen help, have agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent reliever Luis Ayala, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The agreement is worth $1.3 million, the newspaper reported, pending a physical.
Ayala's agent, Joe Longo, said the deal includes an additional $575,000 in incentives.
"He's happy to go in there [with the Twins] and fight for that setup job," Longo told the paper.
The Twins' need for relief help increased when Pat Neshek, whose right elbow was injured last May, had Tommy John surgery on the elbow in November.
"I don't have any comment until it's something to announce," Twins gneeral manager Bill Smith told the Star Tribune.
Ayala, 31, was a setup man for the Washington Nationals before being traded last summer to the New York Mets. He was 2-10 with a 5.71 ERA in 81 appearances for the two teams.
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