Extension Rumors Swirling in Minnesota

It's early in the season, but Minnesota GM, Alex Wobbema, apparently wants to put one of the biggest questions of the offseason to rest: Where will Peter Blanchard be?
  

Minnesota inside baseball reporter, Warren Dolfson, reports that there is an offer on the table and that it is reportedly, "shockingly small."

Blanchard reportedly was asking for a 5-year deal for 60M before the season started.  That, in and of itself, seems like a low asking price from the slugger, especially since he is just 24 and his a career .335/.402/.610 hitter who has 258 HR over his 6+ years in the league.

However, there are some concerning signs that had the Berserkers shopping Blanchard last season on what was then an extremely friendly contract.   Blanchard's bat, despite his age, has been slowing down.   After his first three seasons, where he hit for an average of  .377, .381, and .355, his best season is .313.   K/BB rates have also dropped in that time.    These are not promising signs in a 24 year-old who is already mostly locked into a DH role.

This has some of the more critical and active blogosphere in Minnesota saying they should give him a qualifying offer and take the pick or simply let the young slugger go, save the money and open up a spot that is relatively easy to fill in the ABL, especially with MNs slugger heavy minor league system, where there are players, older than Blanchard, who the team can't find a spot for and would be on most team's rosters.  

But, it's tough to simply cast aside a consistent 35-40+ HR a season, and a player who is very popular, both with the fan base and nationwide.  Because of that, Dolfson is reporting that the Berserker's reached out to Blanchard again and that, when they did, his starting point had come down significantly. The rumor is that the final offer discussed is roughly $6M/year for three years and that Blanchard is seriously considering.

If true, it would be a no-brainer for Minnesota. If Blanchard has continues to decline and can't ever find his original swing, it's a low risk to take as he is still likely to put up very good numbers for a couple of years.  On the other hand, for Blanchard, if he regains his former swing, he'll still be just 27 and will be looking at a very big payday.