Notes, quotes and comment

Neal Cotts, who finished 2015 in the Twins bullpen, signed a minor league deal Friday with Houston.

I'm told #MNTwins never made an offer to proven LH reliever Neal Cotts, who signed w/#Astros today.

— Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) February 26, 2016

I'm fine with that, of course; I've said here repeatedly I'd rather the Twins give a serious opportunity to a prospect than recycle a veteran.

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Today marks the first day of full-squad workouts in Twins camp. Kennys Vargas was one of the last arrivals to camp and is said to be 14 pounds lighter this spring.

That's probably good for him, but if his bulk was a problem last year, opportunity figures to be a problem going forward. He entered 2015 with a job essentially handed to him, and he gave it back. Now there are others ahead of him, and he is more organizational depth than a building block,

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Dexter Fowler turned down the Cubs qualifying offer (one year, $15.8 million). The big multiyer deals he apparently anticipated didn't roll in, and he wound up re-upping with the Cubs for one year, $13 million.

Nice thinking, dude.

Fowler complains about the system. He doesn't, apparently, recognize that the market for a  30-year-old center fielder with a slightly above average bat and a history built in hitters parts ought to be limited.

I don't spend much of my sympathy on marginal QO types who turn the offer down and struggle to find a job. Fowler and/or his agent misread the market. That's on them.