RP Market

[bunsen82]

The remaining relief pitching market . . . is lets say questionable.  Relievers seemed to be going at or slightly above anticipated contracts. 

1. Pete Fairbanks - best known name on the list, has Raynauds - so most likely not an option for the Twins (struggles in cold weather).  Unless willing to try to only pitch in warmer games.  Appears to be wanting warmer climate or dome. Struggled more last year,  Rays declined an $11 million option.  Likely contract 2 for $22 million.  

2. Dominguez - solid relief for Mets this year.  1 yr 10.7 million

3.  Paddack - yuck most likely still viewed as a starting pitcher 1 year $10 million

4. Johnson - Solid set up man for Atlanta  1 yr 8 million

5. David Robertson -  old, struggled last year but had no preseason.  1 yr 6 million. 

6. Hunter Harvey - injured last year   1 yr 5.5 million

7. Kahnle - 4 era for detroit    1 yr 5 million

8-10  Loaisiga, Suter Sewald     all around 4.5 million

11. Coulombe -   struggled for texas - 1 yr 4 million

12-25  Chafin, Webb, Armstrong, Stanek, Junis, Taylor Rogers, King, Kinley, Barlow, Neris, Newcomb, Lucchesi - Between $1.5 million and $4 million

 

There is maybe - 2-3 moderate leverage arms after Fairbanks and Dominguez.  Robertson is older than dirt, but didn't have preseason last year.  Maybe a buy low candidate for 1 year.  I am fine with a reunion with Coulombe and Rogers.   However,  looking at this - I am tempted more and more to go with the youth movement.  Get 1 more reliever,  maybe put the rest into another hitter and roll with what we got.   It may fall apart - but dumping $15 million in money into those players doesn't look to be a great option either.  

[Chembry]

Cross Armstrong off the list...Guardians are signing him for 1yr/$5.5M.  Fits your assessment that RP contracts are coming in above expected.

Listening to Gleeman today, he made a statement that I could see happening.  If Prielipp breaks camp with the team, he could be one of the teams best relievers by August.    

[Doctor Wu]

Chafin seems to put up consistently good numbers each season, as does Coulombe, Kinley might be a good pickup too. 

[jaimedude]

I would sign Couloumbe back, and I like Kinley too. 

[Rigby]

Misread the title. Thought it said RIP market....

[twinfan]

On 12/18/2025 at 12:29 PM, bunsen82 said:

The remaining relief pitching market . . . is lets say questionable.  Relievers seemed to be going at or slightly above anticipated contracts. 

1. Pete Fairbanks - best known name on the list, has Raynauds - so most likely not an option for the Twins (struggles in cold weather).  Unless willing to try to only pitch in warmer games.  Appears to be wanting warmer climate or dome. Struggled more last year,  Rays declined an $11 million option.  Likely contract 2 for $22 million.  

2. Dominguez - solid relief for Mets this year.  1 yr 10.7 million

3.  Paddack - yuck most likely still viewed as a starting pitcher 1 year $10 million

4. Johnson - Solid set up man for Atlanta  1 yr 8 million

5. David Robertson -  old, struggled last year but had no preseason.  1 yr 6 million. 

6. Hunter Harvey - injured last year   1 yr 5.5 million

7. Kahnle - 4 era for detroit    1 yr 5 million

8-10  Loaisiga, Suter Sewald     all around 4.5 million

11. Coulombe -   struggled for texas - 1 yr 4 million

12-25  Chafin, Webb, Armstrong, Stanek, Junis, Taylor Rogers, King, Kinley, Barlow, Neris, Newcomb, Lucchesi - Between $1.5 million and $4 million

 

There is maybe - 2-3 moderate leverage arms after Fairbanks and Dominguez.  Robertson is older than dirt, but didn't have preseason last year.  Maybe a buy low candidate for 1 year.  I am fine with a reunion with Coulombe and Rogers.   However,  looking at this - I am tempted more and more to go with the youth movement.  Get 1 more reliever,  maybe put the rest into another hitter and roll with what we got.   It may fall apart - but dumping $15 million in money into those players doesn't look to be a great option either.  

I think the Twins are missing the boat on good relievers. They could have had the former Yankee who has a  proven record. Kanhle and Colombe are decent but not strikeout pitchers. Loasiga has done well. Sewald also has decent experience. The rest don't impress me though Junis could be a starter.

[The Great Hambino]

I'll be ... let's call it irritated if they're willing to pay a free agent reliever more than Duran's $7.6MM projected arb figure

[DJL44]

23 hours ago, Chembry said:

If Prielipp breaks camp with the team, he could be one of the teams best relievers by August.    

He could be one of the team's best relievers by May.

[Mike Sixel]

3 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

He could be one of the team's best relievers by May.

Agreed, and I'd do that.

[DJL44]

I wonder if there is an aging veteran starting pitcher who wouldn't mind moving to the bullpen to extend his career.

Frankie Montas, Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Griffin Canning, Jose Quintana, Martin Perez, etc.

[The Great Hambino]

4 hours ago, DJL44 said:

I wonder if there is an aging veteran starting pitcher who wouldn't mind moving to the bullpen to extend his career.

Frankie Montas, Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Griffin Canning, Jose Quintana, Martin Perez, etc.

That's not a bad idea

[Vanimal46]

I've got no worries at all. I have read that building a good bullpen is the easiest thing to do in baseball...

[SF Twins Fan]

I think we can cross Kahnle off the list with Hawkins being the bullpen coach....

[Riverbrian]

Got get Seranthony. 2 year contract. 

The guy has a rocket for an arm. 

Fix his mechanics... get him throwing more strikes and there's your closer for two years. Could even trade him for higher value down the road... if he establishes himself as a quality closer.

If you are going for it... go for it. All 3 of you have said that you are going for it. Since you said that... You can't let all of the decent free agent closer candidates just sign elsewhere. The decent ones are almost all gone. 

You have told everyone that you are going for it. Going for it is going to require at least one top bullpen addition. You'll need one to prove that you are going for it. Without a high quality bullpen addition... there is really no reason to go for it. 

Remember you are going for it. Y'all said it. 

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

I've got no worries at all. I have read that building a good bullpen is the easiest thing to do in baseball...

Unless you're the dodgers..... Who clearly know nothing 

[lecroy24fan]

7 hours ago, DJL44 said:

He could be one of the team's best relievers by May.

April 1st.

[thelanges5]

Armstrong is gone but there are a couple others in this article by Theo Tollefson:

https://zonecoverage.com/2025/mn-twins-news/four-free-agent-relievers-the-twins-should-pursue-after-getting-a-slight-payroll-bump/

[goliath]

Sean Newcomb is kind of under the radar, had a nice year last year.  A one year deal would be fine.

[tony&rodney]

Is it remotely expected or  even possible/realistic for the Twins to add relievers at a cost that exceeds what they traded away?

[IndianaTwin]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

Is it remotely expected or  even possible/realistic for the Twins to add relievers at a cost that exceeds what they traded away?

I don’t remember the exact arbitration projections on Duran and Jax, but it seems they were around $7M and $4M. Add Varland at pre-arb and they would have been looking at something like $12M, five or take. 

Given their history, I don’t think many of us would expect them to spend more than $7M on a single reliever, but I could see them approaching the $12M total with three or four Coulombe-level signings. 

[IndianaTwin]

Given Robertson’s age and past effectiveness, I’d be into an incentive-driven contract, in the vein of $2M guaranteed and then an extra $1M at 30, 40, 50, 60 innings. 

[bunsen82]

Marlins signed Fairbanks to a 1 yr deal at $13 million. This comes after they announced they lost Henriquez for the year.  The high leverage relievers are effectively all gone but Robertson.  I don’t see him taken a big value deal either after waiting out most of the year last year.

[Parfigliano]

On 12/19/2025 at 1:57 PM, DJL44 said:

He could be one of the team's best relievers by May.

Prielipp could be one of the team's best relievers by end of camp.

[Parfigliano]

On 12/19/2025 at 7:25 PM, Vanimal46 said:

I've got no worries at all. I have read that building a good bullpen is the easiest thing to do in baseball...

Easy as snapping Legos together.

[David HK]

Let's see... I know! We could put together a BP by putting the free agent band back together!

Taylor Rogers, Emilio Pagan, Thielbar and Coulombe, Ryan Pressly, and what the heck,, throw Genesis Cabrera into the mix, too!  I can hear the sweet music already! 😅🎶

Come to think of it, Liam Hendricks is out there, too! 😅

[Doctor Wu]

As usual, the few remaining quality relief pitchers are being signed by other teams and the Twins haven't made any moves of note, Spring training starts in one more month. I suppose we could obtain another arm in a trade, but I'm doubtful that will happen. We do have plenty of starters we can convert to the bullpen, but I'm not sure how effective that strategy will be. Meanwhile, we keep waiting ...

[thelanges5]

Kopech is available and coming off injury. He could be in the ballpark $$$-wise and the Twins love a reclamation project. Beef Stew comes to mind. We used to have to face this guy when he was with the Southsiders, so there is some familiarity there.

In the 14 games he pitched last season his FB averaged 97.5, with a .103 BA against and his cutter generated a 53.3% swing and miss 👀

I am begging the FO to do something about this BP. They need to add 2-3 relievers with MLB experience. Don’t run it back!?!
 

 

[old nurse]

49 pitchers who pithed in the majors last year are still unsigned.  The bottom has had activity as has the top.  Some of the $4 mil signings would lead one to think that there are more than one pitcher who thinks that they deserve that much, hence a slow market. 

[old nurse]

One of the worries is definitely over for this winter. The Twins will not be signing Noah Davis because Pittsburgh did. 

[bunsen82]

Robertson retired and many of the options discussed intitially have signed elsewhere.   We did sign Rogers to $2 million,  but also traded away Ohl who I likely would have had in the bullpen.  So what is the current bullpen as constructed.  Currently it appears the Twins will have not signed or traded for any high leverage reliever.  

RP  - Sands, Topa, Funderburk, Rogers Orze, Klein, Festa, FA/Trade

Free agents still available -

1. Kopech -  ???  -   Last remaining reliever with high fastball high upside,  but injuries and underperformance.  he had nearly 1 BB per an inning.  Small sample size.   

2. Kahnle -  $4.8 million -  stats not great last year,  very good 2 previous years

3.  Suter -  $4.4 million -  similar to Suter struggled last year,  pretty good the previous years

4. Sewald -    $4.3   - 2 years of underperformance

5. Coloumbe - $4.3 -  not sure he is an option now with rogers.  Another lefty but I do think he can give you innings.  Struggled with Texas

6. Paddack  doubt we would have a reunion especially after his comments last year

7. Chafin - $4.1 million   low ERA last year high whip

 

Maybe they convert a starter.   These options are not great,  the only one with a high ceiling is Kopech,  but are bringing in an arm with his injury history to hold down a spot.  This is the Brock Stewart template though.  If things went right,  he could be a high leverage reliever.  He has the experience at the MLB level.  They keep talking about adding multiple arms.  So at this point I think we have 2 arms being added and then Klein goes back down to AAA.   Kopech and 1 of Kahnle or Suter would be the best outcome of the current situation.   Thats not to say I think this is good.  We need more reliability.   

Edit: Hadn't see it earlier but the #2 option remaining option is likely gone.  Hawkins stating Kahnle is the worst teammate he has ever had is likely a no go.