Joe Saunders has two-year offer on the table from a mystery team

September 25, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Joe Saunders (48) pitches in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

The Twins are waiting to hear back from free agent left-hander Joe Saunders on a preference of a one-year deal, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.

It may take at least another year to get the job done.

"The Twins’ preference is to have Saunders on a one-year deal, but they could be willing to go to two years. They don’t want him on a three-year deal."

Saunders has a two-year offer on the table from a mystery team not named the Orioles, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.

"A couple different industry sources — and, admittedly, none directly involved with the negotiations — have told me that Saunders has a two-year offer on the table. The speculation is that it is worth roughly $15 million or so, and isn’t from the Orioles."

As reported by Wolfson, the Twins are willing to give Saunders a two-year deal, leading to the possibility that the mystery team offering the two-year deal is the Twins.

It is also quite possible that the Twins indeed have a one-year deal on the table, but the agents for Saunders—after reading Wolfson’s article on the Twins’ willingness to go two—may be putting this mystery team information out to get Minnesota to go two years.

The Mets and Mariners are two other teams linked to Saunders and the Orioles are still in the race. The Orioles recently signed right-hander Jair Jurrjens to a one-year $1.5 million deal and the Mets recently signed free-agent right-hander Shaun Marcum to a one-year $4 million deal.