Does The Twins' Handling of Randy Dobnak Signal MLB Should Limit Club's Ability to DFA or Demote Stretch Relievers?

[Cody Schoenmann]

Yes, MLB is a business. Still, clubs should treat their fringe 26-man roster players more respectfully.

Despite losing their first two games to begin their 2025 campaign, Minnesota Twins starting pitchers Pablo López and Joe Ryan manufactured respectable starts against the (daunting?) St. Louis Cardinals, netting an 8-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio while allowing just two earned runs over a combined ten innings pitched. That said, the club's fortunes changed Sunday when a virus-stricken Bailey Ober imploded, allowing eight earned runs over 2 2/3 innings pitched. Ober could not get out of the third inning, lending way to fan-favorite right-handed reliever Randy Dobnak making his first appearance of the season. 

Dobnak entered the game with a runner on first with two outs. However, he was quickly able to wiggle his way out of the inning, getting designating hitter Willson Contreras to line out to left fielder Harrison Bader in just three pitches. The game would be suspended for roughly an hour due to a rain delay. Instead of deferring to a different reliever, however, Minnesota trotted Dobnak out for the bottom of the fourth, suggesting they were prepared to have the 30-year-old eat innings. The former Indy ball star would do just that, allowing up one run over 5 1/3 innings of the contest. 

Stretching Dobnak out for 79 pitches allowed Minnesota to rest their seven other relievers. That being the case, Manager Rocco Baldelli should have full access to the collective as the club seeks their first win of the 2025 MLB season against the Chicago White Sox this Monday. Minnesota's ability to avoid taxing its bullpen (particularly its high-leverage arms) early in the season was a favorable outcome. That said, Dobnak eating extended innings means he must be sidelined for the next two to three games. If the club had kept him on the 26-man roster, they would have been shorthanded in their upcoming three-game set on the Southside. However, they elected to designate him for assignment and select the contract of Darren McCaughan.

Designating Dobnak for assignment makes sense from a roster construction perspective. Chris Paddack or Simeon Woods Richardson could similarly splinter in their upcoming starts against Chicago. If Dobnak were still occupying a roster spot, the club would have been forced to stretch out mid-to-high-leverage arms like Jorge Alcalá and Louis Varland for multiple innings, which is an undesirable outcome, especially this early in the season. Yet, that threat has been eradicated with the purchase of McCaughan's contract. That said, the decision doesn't sit right from a labor perspective.

Now, to be critical of the Twins themselves would be misplaced. Minnesota needs a fresh bullpen arm. Despite Dobnak's laborious, depth-saving performance, league rule permits the club to designate him for assignment. Also, Dobnak understandably won't reject his outright assignment, and a different club won't want to claim the $4 million remaining in the last year of his deal, suggesting he will stay with the organization. Nevertheless, Twins decision-makers are acting reasonably, even if their measures are ultimately cold and callous. That said, there is reason to advocate that MLB should implement a rule prohibiting teams from demoting or DFAing stretch relievers after tossing multiple innings in a mop-up role. 

Quantifying how many innings and/or pitches thrown would make a reliever immune from demotion or being DFA'd would be complicated to calculate and enforce. That said, three innings pitched and/or 50 pitches thrown is a rational starting point. Now, Dobnak is a unique case in that he will continue to earn his $4 million salary if he accepts his outright assignment to Triple-A. However, the money earned from staying on the roster for as little as two to three extra days could be life-altering for a journeyman reliever like McCaughan or young arms yet to make their major league debut in Travis Adams or Marco Raya. 

Given MLB's willingness to capitulate to the current presidential administration's anti-DEI initiatives, there is reason to assume the league taking a pro-labor stance on any issue (even on an uncontroversial issue like this one) is unlikely. That said, the league would be shrewd to buck the trend and consider restricting clubs' ability to demote or DFA stretch relievers after shouldering load-barring loads in mop-up roles. Teams will understandably continue to manipulate this depth-preserving form of in-season bullpen construction. That said, fringe 26-man roster relievers deserve to be rewarded for their services, even if it thins the club’s bullpen depth for two to three games.

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[jorgenswest]

In 2013 I started a similar thread about Alex Burnett. Alex arrived in the majors in 2010 at 22 years old. He was in DFA limbo at least three times during the  2013 season pitching in 4 organizations. It was a lost season for him as he pitch only 17.2 innings across 6 teams. He was 25 years old. Young pitchers need to pitch. They need consistent quality instruction. That can’t happen when you are constantly in DFA limbo. He never pitched in the majors again.

My suggestions at the time. If a players gets DFA’d they retain a major league salary throughout the year. A player can be DFA’d at most once during the season. The second time they can elect to become a free agent with that major league salary guaranteed.

I know Dobnak has his salary guaranteed but a second DFA by the Twins ought to give him the opportunity to join another with the Twins paying the salary.

[Linus]

I just posted about this in another thread.  Something should be done - a minimum, stay, more big league pay etc.  It’s one more element Thats keeps pens fresh so starters only have to go 5. 

[USAFChief]

No 

Talk about a "solution" in search of a problem.

 

[FlyingFinn]

This is exactly how both sides of the collective bargaining agreement knew it was going to happen as the rules limit the guys on the 40 man roster and the amount of times they can move between AAA and the majors.

[tony&rodney]

A prime example of the MLBPA fighting for the stars while ignoring the grunts. 

[Whitey333]

Just one of many reasons MLB has been going down hill the past several years.  Their system is all messed up.  It hurts me because I have always loved MLB.  60 years worth.  Not to mention the Twins have very little class in their handling of some players.  This isn't the first time the have done this to Dobnak and others.  He was a surprise addition at the end of spring training.  He was about the only bright spot for the Twins in St. Louis.  He does very well and in addition saves the bullpen.  His reward?  Sent out.

[AugieOjedaFanboy]

I'm not sure this is entirely necessary, but I personally find it annoying how many relief pitchers teams go through every year. Especially when even with all the extra relievers there are still more position players pitching than every before. I'm not sure how to change it and I don't know if it matters all that much, but it's a personal pet peeve.

[Jocko87]

OH, won't someone think of the players!

This is the kind of thinking that's going to lead to a multiple year lockout in 2026. 

The trade offs for guaranteed contracts are not insignificant, nor should they be.

[jkcarew]

You mean, should clubs be banned from giving multi-year contracts, extending well beyond optionable years, and worth up to $3M/yr guaranteed to AAAA replacement-level talents?

Interesting question.

I say no.

[Twodogs]

I know people are bringing up money paid to said relievers and what not.  But I think the biggest argument is the fact that a team is really carrying extra pitchers on their roster.  So instead of having a 13 man pitching staff you really have a 14 or 15 man pitching staff because you can continuously DFA guys and bring other players up.  Maybe they just need to say these are our 13 pitchers for the week.  Then at the end of the week they can manipulate the roster with minor league guys and DFA a couple of guys or option them if they have options.  Then at least they have to have 13 dudes they can trust for the week?   

[jkcarew]

49 minutes ago, AugieOjedaFanboy said:

I'm not sure this is entirely necessary, but I personally find it annoying how many relief pitchers teams go through every year. Especially when even with all the extra relievers there are still more position players pitching than every before. I'm not sure how to change it and I don't know if it matters all that much, but it's a personal pet peeve.

This.

It’s not a Twins thing, and it’s not a Randy Dobnak thing.

It’s a modern Major League Baseball thing.

[darin617]

There's 3 million reasons why Randy Dobnak doesn't have a problem with it.

[mikelink45]

The issue is the pension more than the season use.  Randy is lucky he has a good guaranteed contract, other guys get a couple of days of high pay and then get dropped.  Not sure how this works out, but at least the low pay in the minors was addressed recently. 

[Vanimal46]

3 minutes ago, darin617 said:

There's 3 million reasons why Randy Dobnak doesn't have a problem with it.

This. What else could Randy Dobnak be doing right now that would net him $3 million? I’m gonna go with nothing. Where was the outrage when Jharel Cotton was shuttled back and forth a dozen times in 2022? The 1% of players that deal with this each season seem to be perfectly fine with the circumstance because they’re paid more than the typical AAA player. 

[Mike Sixel]

5 hours ago, USAFChief said:

No 

Talk about a "solution" in search of a problem.

 

I agree. Why is this an issue?

[jkcarew]

Totally realistic 2026 predictions…

Polads still own team.

Rocco is fired in the offseason

Club picks up Dobnak’s $6M option, installs him as player/manager

Dobnak DFA’s himself 5 times during the coarse of the season

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

it’s not so much about Dobnak, but about how the Twins treat their players. Dobnak does a great job and gets handshakes from the bullpen guys, next thing you know Dobnak’s on a different flight back to AAA.

Message for the back end bullpen guys = do a good job, get demoted, 

Everyone else should be rested. Dobnak could easily have been allowed to recharge for a couple of days like any other guy, be available for Wednesday for sure.

and there is the small chance maybe he even found his grip this year and can roll some good innings consistently and makes spot starts. (not likely given his history but not impossible).

The MLB doesn’t need a rule; the Twins need a plan.

I would be interested to see how often the well run teams do this kind of stuff, as compared to the other cookie cutter teams like the Twins. 

[jkcarew]

6 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

I know Dobnak has his salary guaranteed but a second DFA by the Twins ought to give him the opportunity to join another with the Twins paying the salary.

The unintended consequence here is that there would be zero chance of the Randy Dobnak’s of the world ever getting anything guaranteed beyond the optionable years to begin with.

I agree the current system is wildly imperfect, but the clear winner here is Dobnak. He is, and always was, an undrafted free agent without any big upside, the definition of replacement level (a chance to be slightly better…so far very slightly worse)…and he’ll have made $8.5M by October of this year. AND be able to tell his grandkids he actually pitched (a lot) in the major leagues.

[Mike Sixel]

12 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

it’s not so much about Dobnak, but about how the Twins treat their players. Dobnak does a great job and gets handshakes from the bullpen guys, next thing you know Dobnak’s on a different flight back to AAA.

Message for the back end bullpen guys = do a good job, get demoted, 

Everyone else should be rested. Dobnak could easily have been allowed to recharge for a couple of days like any other guy, be available for Wednesday for sure.

and there is the small chance maybe he even found his grip this year and can roll some good innings consistently and makes spot starts. (not likely given his history but not impossible).

The MLB doesn’t need a rule; the Twins need a plan.

I would be interested to see how often the well run teams do this kind of stuff, as compared to the other cookie cutter teams like the Twins. 

Guys like him would never get called up, and be out of baseball. Is that better?

[djm24]

2 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

Just one of many reasons MLB has been going down hill the past several years.  Their system is all messed up.  It hurts me because I have always loved MLB.  60 years worth.  Not to mention the Twins have very little class in their handling of some players.  This isn't the first time the have done this to Dobnak and others.  He was a surprise addition at the end of spring training.  He was about the only bright spot for the Twins in St. Louis.  He does very well and in addition saves the bullpen.  His reward?  Sent out.

What you said is spot on.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

5 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Guys like him would never get called up, and be out of baseball. Is that better?

The very first thing I said was that, to me, it’s not about Dobnak.

Will you show us data on how the other 29 teams decide on non-injury bullpen demotions to the minors? 

[djm24]

20 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

it’s not so much about Dobnak, but about how the Twins treat their players. Dobnak does a great job and gets handshakes from the bullpen guys, next thing you know Dobnak’s on a different flight back to AAA.

Message for the back end bullpen guys = do a good job, get demoted, 

Everyone else should be rested. Dobnak could easily have been allowed to recharge for a couple of days like any other guy, be available for Wednesday for sure.

and there is the small chance maybe he even found his grip this year and can roll some good innings consistently and makes spot starts. (not likely given his history but not impossible).

The MLB doesn’t need a rule; the Twins need a plan.

I would be interested to see how often the well run teams do this kind of stuff, as compared to the other cookie cutter teams like the Twins. 

"the Twins need a plan". Is there anyone of those top honchos smart enough to devise a smart plan?

[chpettit19]

MLB does have rules for this stuff. If Randy is good enough he'll get claimed. If not, he'll still get paid $3M to play baseball this year. MLB has rules against how many times a guy can be demoted in a season and how long a guy has to spend in the minors after he was demoted and the DFA rules themselves allow other teams to "steal" players for "nothing" to reduce the amount of cycling through of arms teams do between AAA and the majors.

What rule are they supposed to put in place? "We know what you're really doing so we're going to stop you from making roster moves when we decide you're taking advantage of the rules in place?"

As for "the Twins need a plan" talk. The Twins had a plan. This was the plan. If you didn't know this was the plan for Dobnak you haven't been paying attention to Major League Baseball for the last decade. It's the reason they've put rules in place about how often you can demote a guy and how long he has to stay there. New flash: Darren McCaughan isn't going to be on tomorrow's 26-man roster. This is the plan for just about every team in baseball. It's not the Twins lacking a plan. It's the Twins executing a plan. And the fact that MLB does have rules for this stuff shows you that it's a pretty common plan because it happens so often with so many teams the league felt they needed to put rules in place for it.

The DFA rules are in place to help players, not teams. If a player is good enough they get claimed and get a shot to stay on a major league roster. The 40-man roster rules are in place to stop teams from hoarding players in the minors and force them to make decisions on guys and give other teams a chance to "steal" them and give them a shot at the majors for just the cost of their contract. Randy's problem is nobody thinks he's worth his contract. MLB can't make a rule for that. But they have rules for the rest of this stuff. It's not their fault teams think he's overcompensated. If he cares more about being in the majors he has the ability to choose free agency and give up his $3 million (plus $1 million buyout next year). Because MLB has numerous rules to give players chances to get to different teams to get shots at the majors. I have a feeling Randy won't be choosing free agency, though. The rules aren't holding him back.

[HerbieFan]

SHOULD it be??  Probably.  WILL it be??  Um...no.  

[Rod Carews Birthday]

16 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

MLB does have rules for this stuff. If Randy is good enough he'll get claimed. If not, he'll still get paid $3M to play baseball this year. MLB has rules against how many times a guy can be demoted in a season and how long a guy has to spend in the minors after he was demoted and the DFA rules themselves allow other teams to "steal" players for "nothing" to reduce the amount of cycling through of arms teams do between AAA and the majors.

What rule are they supposed to put in place? "We know what you're really doing so we're going to stop you from making roster moves when we decide you're taking advantage of the rules in place?"

As for "the Twins need a plan" talk. The Twins had a plan. This was the plan. If you didn't know this was the plan for Dobnak you haven't been paying attention to Major League Baseball for the last decade. It's the reason they've put rules in place about how often you can demote a guy and how long he has to stay there. New flash: Darren McCaughan isn't going to be on tomorrow's 26-man roster. This is the plan for just about every team in baseball. It's not the Twins lacking a plan. It's the Twins executing a plan. And the fact that MLB does have rules for this stuff shows you that it's a pretty common plan because it happens so often with so many teams the league felt they needed to put rules in place for it.

The DFA rules are in place to help players, not teams. If a player is good enough they get claimed and get a shot to stay on a major league roster. The 40-man roster rules are in place to stop teams from hoarding players in the minors and force them to make decisions on guys and give other teams a chance to "steal" them and give them a shot at the majors for just the cost of their contract. Randy's problem is nobody thinks he's worth his contract. MLB can't make a rule for that. But they have rules for the rest of this stuff. It's not their fault teams think he's overcompensated. If he cares more about being in the majors he has the ability to choose free agency and give up his $3 million (plus $1 million buyout next year). Because MLB has numerous rules to give players chances to get to different teams to get shots at the majors. I have a feeling Randy won't be choosing free agency, though. The rules aren't holding him back.

Exactly this.  Randy Dobnak is millions of dollars worth of happy about the situation (heck -- I'd do it for half as much money!).  There are probably dozens of minor league pitchers who would sign up for the same guaranteed contract and getting DFA'd a few times.  IF Dobnak gets called up and pitches lights out several times, someone may actually claim him (especially later in the season), and that's OK. 

As someone said earlier, this is a solution in search of a problem. 

[darin617]

1 hour ago, jkcarew said:

Totally realistic 2026 predictions…

Polads still own team.

Rocco is fired in the offseason

Club picks up Dobnak’s $6M option, installs him as player/manager

Dobnak DFA’s himself 5 times during the coarse of the season

The Pohlad's will still own the team until 2027. They will finally find a buyer after the lockout and new CBA.

[DocBauer]

First of all, Dobnak is earning a ML salary this year, and was earning one last season when the same thing happened. His contract not only pays him a great deal of $, it provides the Twins and extra "option" or 2 or 3 or 4 with him as nobody else will pick him up. So he gets to make good $ at AAA and still spend time with the Twins at various intervals. 

Meanwhile, a 30yo+ veteran like Tonkin gets DFA a re-resigned multiple times in a season because he's valuable in his role, but isn't generally valuable for a team to keep when they need to make a roster move.

Do we feel sorry for Adams this season when/if he's brought up multiple times to throw innings and be sent down because he has options? Apparently we don't based on the opinion of the OP. So only an older player out of options being DFA should have sympathy?

I truly feel sorry for the journeymen like a Tonkin who bounce around during a season. I'm sure it's difficult to live out of rental spaces and see your family somewhat sporadically. Though that's somewhat true even for a rostered player. And I don't want to bring $ is a cure all, but even journeymen on a team are making just short of $800K per season, if not more, and enjoy the 1st class treatments of the team they are playing for.

The NBA has adjusted rosters to go well beyond the 13 man roster to allow for ups and downs on the reserve roster and development league. The NFL is MASSIVELY SILLY with their GAME ROSTER of only 45 players, with a 53 man roster, but they also have developed a pretty flexible plan of allowing practice squad players to go up and down several times during the season.

Meanwhile, with all the changes in other sports, and all the changes in MLB over the years, the BIG CHANGE MLB has made was an expansion of ONE roster spot to 26. A couple decades ago, the owners flexed their muscle and instituted a 24 man roster in order to prove a point.

But where is the angst for a NFL or NBA fringe player moving around during the year from roster spot to roster spot? 

I appreciate MLB 40 man roster to allow potential movement in order to prevent prospect hoarding. But the rule 5 draft still favors the "home team" as few rule 5 picks ever stick with their drafted team.

I've argued for some time that the way the game has changed, I really liked the 28 man roster during covid. I think it's time to raise roster limits to that level on a permanent basis. It would also allow more ML service time for some players. And it might provide fewer shuttles between the parent club and the minors.

But @chpettit19is correct that MLB has rules in place to limit shuttle runs during the season. That's to allow players more ability to become FA and sign elsewhere. If you want to extend that, then allow players extra days of ML service time when brought up. If you have a 10-14 day rule...I forget the exact criteria at the moment for re-promotion...then pay the players for that 10-14 day period and give them ML service time for that duration.

Expand the roster to 28, and guarantee pay and service time for that 10-14 day period. That's MY solution for any debate about fairness.

NOTE: I am legitimately SHOCKED by a couple comments I've read about how the Twins treat players. Current and former players have NEVER said anything negative about how they are/were treated by the Twins. In fact, many players...even agents...have spoken about the integrity of the Twins and the FO. If you don't like the Pohlad's, FINE. You won't get a lot of arguements. But STOP with false pretense!

 

[twinstalker]

The title question in no way pertains to Dobnak's situation.  He's getting paid, and the Twins are "risking" losing him.

The question is more about shuttling 40-man guys with options left, especially when they get shuttled after one day of service (and hence, only one day's pay, maybe $4000).  Can you imagine getting paid three million to get "abused" this way?  That's Dobnak's situation.

This has probably been addressed by other comments and maybe even in the article I skimmed.

[Doctor Wu]

I don't see any scenario where moves likes this are banned from MLB. It's a business and in this case, I suppose an example of "creative" roster construction or juggling or whatever the Twins front office are attempting. So sure, I understand the logic and the business reasons behind the move, but as a longtime baseball fan, one who roots for fringe players like Dobnak, I detest these sorts of DFA moves. No  matter how you want to spin it, it's a black eye for the Twins front office.