Twins will get first shot at Pavano

CHICAGO - The agent for Carl Pavano scheduled a meeting with Twins General Manager Bill Smith today, to give the Twins first crack at the righthander's services before Pavano hits the free agent market.

"I want to sit down with the Twins and see which direction they want to go," agent Tom O'Connell said Monday at the O'Hare Hilton, site of this year's general managers meetings. "[Pavano] really enjoyed his time there and finished great. He wants to see if it's a fit moving forward."

After arriving in Chicago, Smith sidestepped all questions about specific free agents. The Twins like Pavano and could push to re-sign him, but the chances are slim that they will overwhelm him with an offer before he hits the open market Nov. 20.

Pavano, 33, likely wants to test the market again after bouncing back from four injury-riddled seasons with the Yankees to go 14-12 with a 5.10 ERA over 199 1/3 innings combined for the Indians and Twins this season.

After making nearly $40 million but only 26 starts with the Yankees, Pavano signed an incentive-laden deal with Cleveland on Jan. 6. He made $1.5 million in base salary and wound up getting $4.35 million, including incentives.

With the Twins rotation in shambles, Smith acquired Pavano on Aug. 7 for Class AAA pitcher Yohan Pino. The move helped lift the Twins to the AL Central title.

Pavano went 5-4 with a 4.64 ERA in 12 starts for the Twins, spanning 73 2/3 innings, then held the Yankees to two runs over seven innings in Game 3 of the Division Series, getting stuck with a hard-luck loss.

"I don't think [the trade] could have worked out better for us," Smith said last month.

Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson has been an outspoken advocate of re-signing Pavano. And the righthander repeatedly said he liked pitching for the Twins.

Asked in late September if that will help the Twins' chances of re-signing him, Pavano said: "I think it definitely will [help]. Listen, I'm not interested in going to a new situation again. I'm enjoying my time here, but there's a lot of variables that are going to come with my decision. And it's how much they think I can help them. There are 29 other teams, so it's tough to say."

Pavano qualified as a Type B free agent, which means the Twins can get a supplemental round pick in next June's amateur draft if they offer Pavano arbitration by Dec. 1 and he signs somewhere else.

O'Connell wouldn't give specifics on what Pavano wants in his next contract, but it's probably not another incentive-laden deal.

"Last year, we structured the deal that way because he was coming off an injury," O'Connell said. "Cleveland gave him a chance to re-establish himself, and he did. So that's not really what we're thinking right now."

Pavano gave up 113 earned runs, most in the AL, but after his first start for Cleveland -- a one-inning, nine-run debacle -- he went 14-11 with a 4.72 ERA.

"When a pitcher throws 190-200 innings, that shows he's a force," O'Connell said. "First and foremost, we want to listen to what Minnesota has to say, and then we'll see what the interest is."

• Shortstop Orlando Cabrera qualified as a Type A free agent, but the Twins won't get any draft pick compensation if he leaves. His contract says his team cannot offer him arbitration if he's a Type A.

• The Orioles claimed Twins righthanded pitcher Armando Gabino off waivers. Gabino, 26, made one start for the Twins this season and one relief appearance, posting a 17.18 ERA. He went 6-4 with a 2.94 ERA in 38 games for Class AAA Rochester.

• The Twins selected the contract of reliever Juan Morillo, putting the 26-year-old back on their 40-man roster. Morillo, a hard-throwing righthander claimed off waivers from the Rockies on April 17, posted a 22.50 ERA in three appearances for the Twins and went 6-6 with a 3.90 ERA in 46 games for Rochester, where he notched 87 strikeouts in 67 innings -- but also walked 51.

• First baseman Justin Huber cleared waivers and was outrighted to Class AAA Rochester. Huber, 27, batted .273 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI for the Red Wings this season and went 1-for-2 for the Twins.