Six teams interested in Matt Thornton

At least six teams are interested in signing veteran reliever Matt Thornton before the start of Spring Training, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.

Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Minnesota all reportedly expressed interest in the veteran lefty earlier this off-season and could pursue him in the coming days.

Since Thornton has had a notable amount of success throughout the course of his career, there is still a chance he receives a major league contract. However, given how late in the off-season it is, Cafardo points out it is more likely Thornton signs a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, giving him the chance to join a major league roster with a solid spring.

Thronton, 39, pitched to a 2.18 ERA and 3.52 FIP over 41.1 innings with the Nationals last season. His career 3.35 ERA is notable and despite his age, Thornton's fastball still consistently reached 90+ mph last season in Washington. As a result, he could prove to be a productive relief option for a club that already has one left-handed reliever in its bullpen.

If there truly are at least six clubs interested, Thornton is unlikely to have difficulty finding a place to pitch in 2016. He could have a notable amount of success next season and might not be too costly.