ORLANDO -- Mike Pelfrey said repeatedly last summer that he hopes to remain in Minnesota. But the free-agent pitcher's agent made it clear on Wednesday that the Twins have competition for the right-hander.

"There's a possibility [he] could" sign a new contract with the Twins, agent Scott Boras said. But "we've gotten pretty good interest in him from other teams."

Pelfrey went 5-13 with a 5.19 ERA last season with the Twins, his first season back from ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow. But he improved as the season went along, posting a 3.45 ERA in July and August before finishing with a bad September.

Pelfrey, 28, earned $4 million on a one-year contract with the Twins, but his next contract figures to be longer. "He's been offered" multi-year contracts, Boras said. He said he met during the meetings with Twins general manager Terry Ryan, who expressed the Twins' interest in retaining the former first-round pick of the Mets.