Non-Tendered Pitchers the Twins Should Consider for 2026

[Sherry Cerny]

 

Over the past week, the Twins (and all other teams) have been busy with their regularly scheduled roster cleaning in preparation for the Winter Meetings. They added six minor leaguers to the 40-man roster. They made a trade, and they tendered contact to all of their arbitration-eligible players.

Across baseball, several players were non-tendered by their organizations making them free agents. Here are three non-tendered pitchers that could help the Twins in 2026.

IAN HAMILTON - RHP 
Raise your hand if you can remember when Ian Hamilton pitched in one game for the 2022 Minnesota Twins. 

Hamilton is a right-handed reliever who joined the Yankees organization in 2023 and made an immediate impact, posting 1.6 bWAR and a stellar 2.64 ERA over 39 appearances and 58 innings, supported by an impressive 2.82 FIP. His wipeout slider and ability to generate whiffs gave New York a valuable mid-to-late inning option. However, the following two seasons were far more turbulent. Hamilton struggled with consistency in 2024 and 2025, and as the Yankees pushed toward a postseason run with a crowded bullpen picture, he was sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in late July. He finished 2025 with 36 MLB outings, logging 40 innings with a 4.28 ERA, 4.39 FIP, and 42 strikeouts. 

His non-tender was unsurprising given the Yankees’ depth and their preference to lean on a younger, higher-velocity prospect pool for the stretch run. Hamilton’s profile, solid but not dominant, left him squeezed out in a system known for rapid bullpen turnover and constant role competition. Compared to other relievers in New York’s mix, he was no longer a comfortable postseason option, especially after his mid-season demotion. Age also plays a factor. At 30, Hamilton is not old by reliever standards, but he isn’t a long-term developmental project either, and his underwhelming numbers across 2024–2025 raise fair concerns about durability, swing-and-miss sustainability, and whether his best form is behind him. He could easily be the replacement for Jhoan Duran as the closer, but there will never be another Duran. 

The Twins represent an ideal landing spot, and Minnesota could unlock a resurgence. With the five losses last year at the trade deadline and several of the August and September relievers also becoming free agents, the Twins clearly need arms for competition in the bullpen. Hamilton’s three-pitch mix, led by a slider that generates 69% strikes and a massive 78% whiff rate, gives him a legitimate carrying tool that fits the Twins’ pitching-development model. He limits hard contact, induces chases from left-handed hitters, and shows enough command to profile as a matchup weapon or full-inning reliever. Under pitching coach Pete Maki, the Twins have found success in maximizing relievers, Hamilton could rediscover the sharpness he showed in 2023. For Minnesota, he’s a low-cost, high-upside bullpen addition who fills an immediate need while offering the chance of meaningful rebound value.

OMAR CRUZ - LHP
Omar Cruz is a left-handed pitcher whose professional journey has taken him from the Padres system to the Pirates in 2021, and back with the Padres in 2023 through the Rule 5 draft.  Cruz originally signed out of Mexico in 2017 and made his MLB debut on April 1, 2025, but then was sent down after his second performance on April 5. He was recalled for a couple of days in late May and then again at the end of September but didn't pitch in any games. 

Cruz built his reputation on a high-performing changeup, solid strike-throwing, and the ability to neutralize left-handed hitters with a mix that plays above its raw velocity. He has shown flashes of potential in both starting and middle relief. While he hasn’t cemented himself as a major-league contributor, he has shown poise and pitchability teams covet in depth arms. And, well, he's left-handed and just 26 years old. 

He was non-tendered because San Diego faced a roster-crunch. His lack of elite velocity and limited major-league runway made him expendable for a club reshuffling its pitching depth. None of this reflects a lack of skill; it's just the reality of a crowded pitching pipeline, and the Padres need to allocate roster space to higher-ceiling arms.

The Twins should consider signing him because his profile fits what their pitching department has excelled at developing: command-first lefties with a plus changeup and room for analytical refinement. In Minnesota, Cruz projects as a depth starter, long reliever, or matchup-friendly lefty who can shuttle between St. Paul and the MLB roster without disrupting roles. The primary concerns are whether his fastball can miss enough bats at the big-league level and whether his margin for error is thin against right-handed hitters. Still, with his age, pitchability, and Twins-friendly toolkit, he represents a low-cost upside player who could become a quietly valuable piece of the 2026 staff, especially as a lefty. 

JOEY LUCCHESI - LHP
Joey Lucchesi is a 32-year-old left-handed pitcher whose career has spanned the Padres, the Mets, and, most recently, the Giants organizations. Once known primarily as a crafty starter with his signature curve, Lucchesi has transitioned effectively into a bullpen role where his ability to neutralize left-handed hitters has become his defining strength. His delivery remains one of the most unusual in baseball, creating a timing disruptor that helps his fastball and changeup play up despite modest velocity. Even as he’s shifted into a relief-focused workload, he’s maintained the pitchability and poise that made him a steady rotation option earlier in his career.

Lucchesi was non-tendered due to a combination of age, roster crunch, and the Giants’ increasing push toward younger, higher-octane bullpen arms. San Francisco has spent the past two seasons aggressively turning over its pitching depth, especially in the relief corps, prioritizing velocity and swing-and-miss traits over deception-driven profiles. For a 32-year-old soft-contact lefty, that made him expendable—even if his results and peripherals remained perfectly serviceable. He wasn’t cut because he couldn’t contribute; he was cut because he no longer fit the organizational direction and didn’t offer long-term upside for a club shifting philosophies.

For the Twins, however, Lucchesi’s profile is exactly the kind of asset they need. Minnesota lacks reliable left-handed bullpen depth behind Kody Funderburk, and Lucchesi immediately fills that gap with experience, versatility, and a proven track record against tough lefty bats. His “churve”, which is part changeup, part breaking ball, has long been a problem pitch for left-handers, generating weak contact and expanding the zone when leveraged correctly. The concerns are age and ceiling: at 32, he’s not a long-term piece, and his margin for error is smaller than power relievers. But in the short term, he provides the Twins with a steady, matchup-friendly lefty who can handle pockets of left-heavy lineups, piggyback innings, or operate as a multi-out bridge option. Given Minnesota’s bullpen needs and coaching staff’s success with finesse-and-deception arms, Lucchesi is a smart, low-risk fit who could deliver high-value innings right away.

Non-tendered pitchers are not going to be the cream of the crop, and it does take the right team to take them on and rebuild them, these three pitchers have a potential to be a good fit for the Twins as short-term options while the teams adjusts to the new structure. 

 

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[terrydactyls]

Barf, barf, and more barf.  The front office needs to meet with the young arms who are currently starters but they feel would be good relievers and ask the a single question.  Would you rather continue starting but remain in the minors making $35k or switch to relief and join the big club and make $800K?  I would be curious to see how many would prefer a minimal salary in order to chase a dream.  I know I would jump at the chance to give it a try.

[DocBauer]

So I took a look at Hamilton's the last 3 seasons. And while he definitely was better in 2023, his overall numbers the last 2yrs weren't bad overall with fewer hits than IP and almost 10K per 9. What really hurt him in 2025 was a jump in BB.

Still 30yo I can him as a possibly smart addition. They need options, including the MILB signing and invite types. Can they get Hamilton on a MILB deal? 

Even if the Twins are thinking of moving Prielipp to the pen for 2026, it doesn't mean we don't need additional depth and options. And who says we can't have 3 LH pen arms?

I could see Cruz and Lucchesi being decent options, but I'd much rather spend $3-4M on Coulombe, Rogers, or Chaffin at this point. 

 

 

[Blyleven2011]

I sure like your optimism on your choices of pitchers to sign that you believe are good enough to play for the Twins because we have pitching coaches to help them , not crazy about Hamilton but lefties are sure worth taking a flier on ...

Now go sell it to falvey 

[Doctor Wu]

Some interesting choices. Thanks for putting in the effort to write this article and making us aware of these pitchers, none of whom I knew much about except for Hamilton. As DocBauer noted, even with our in-house options, we will still need some extra arms in the bullpen. Sign one, sign 'em all. I doubt any of these guys are going to break whatever budget the Twins have. 

[Riverbrian]

There are around 125 free agent relief pitchers to consider. 

For perspective... There are around 6 free agent shortstops. 

The 3 pitchers in this article... were non-tendered by other clubs and therefore join the group comprised of 125 pitchers.

Because there are 125 of them... I assume that you don't have to be non-tendered to be lower cost. 

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

There are around 125 free agent relief pitchers to consider. 

For perspective... There are around 6 free agent shortstops. 

The 3 pitchers in this article... were non-tendered by other clubs and therefore join the group comprised of 125 pitchers.

Because there are 125 of them... I assume that you don't have to be non-tendered to be lower cost. 

Every team needs at least 13 pitchers and at most two shortstops.

[Riverbrian]

3 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Every team needs at least 13 pitchers and at most two shortstops.

I'm usually up to date on math/roster space equations. 

But... in case you were assuming that I wasn't. 

Thanks 😉