Non-roster relief pitchers

[stringer bell]

The Twins have room in their bullpen for people who can get outs, no matter what type of contract they have. They have brought eleven pitchers presumably all competing for bullpen slots. They can roughly be divided in two categories, veterans over 30 with substantial service time or younger guys with little experience. Liam Hendriks, by virtue of the basic agreement has opt-outs, but any of the veterans might have an opt-out or upward mobility clause in their minor league contract. The younger guys would either go to St. Paul or be released if they don't make the team and that would be the Twins' decision.

Here's a brief thumbnail on each of the veterans: Hendriks--37, three time All-Star, former Twin, injuries and illness (cancer) in the past three years. Bowman, 34 years old, over 5 years service time, so-so stuff, has really bounced around the last few years. Dan Altavilla, 33, over 5 years service time, threw a good 29 innings last year, injured prior to that. 96 mph fastball. Julian Merryweather, over 5 years service time, good in 2023, struggled since, perhaps injury related, 96 mph fastball.

Much less information to be had for the younger non-roster invitees. Only 28 year old Grant Hartwig has any major league experience, and that is less than one year of service time, with two option years remaining. Hartwig also has a good fastball and has done well limited hard contact in his brief major league career. Hartwig was in the Mets organization. Corey Lewis, 25 years old, and Trent Baker, 27, were in the Twins minor league system. Lewis spent all year at St. Paul (poor numbers) and Baker evenly split his time between Wichita and St. Paul with decent success. Matt Canterino has stayed in the Twins system but barely pitched in the last three years due to injury. Lefty Chritian MacLeod, 26 in April, pitched at three levels in the Twins organization, but he had poor numbers in his last stop at St. Paul .Andrew Bash,29, put up good numbers for the Blue Jays AAA team in 84 innings. Raul Brito, 29 in May, put up good numbers in the San Diego organization until last year.

I think at least one of these guys and probably two will make the club out of spring training and I would expect it would be the veteran guys. Hendriks is the most likely due to his past history and the automatic opt-outs in his contract.  Both Altavilla and Merryweather are intriguing having high velocity fastballs and previous major league success. I welcome other's opinions and any further information on the guys coming from other organizations.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Can put Andrew Chafin in here now. Twins signed him to a minor league deal.

[LewFordLives]

39 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Can put Andrew Chafin in here now. Twins signed him to a minor league deal.

Interesting that he could only get a minor league deal. The Twins now certainly have left handed options to choose from. Maybe they can piece a bullpen together.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

11 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

Interesting that he could only get a minor league deal. The Twins now certainly have left handed options to choose from. Maybe they can piece a bullpen together.

Yeah I'm surprised he did get an MLB deal. This and the Banda trade are potentially good moves.

[stringer bell]

7 hours ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Can put Andrew Chafin in here now. Twins signed him to a minor league deal.

Yeah, Chafin to the ‘“experienced veteran” group and Laweryson to the inexperienced, younger team control group.

Maybe Funderburk isn’t safe, since he has an option remaining.

[Linus]

2 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Yeah, Chafin to the ‘“experienced veteran group and Laweryson to the inexperienced, younger team control group.

Maybe Funderburk isn’t safe, since he has an option remaining.

I think you have nailed it. Fundy will need to clearly outpitch all those vets to make the 26 and I don’t see that happening. Part of me thinks these moves are about bringing guys to showcase and dealing them at the deadline. Also makes me think that my pipe dream of putting young arms in the pen is completely dead. 
As always, great topic. 

[Doctor Wu]

17 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Yeah, Chafin to the ‘“experienced veteran” group and Laweryson to the inexperienced, younger team control group.

Maybe Funderburk isn’t safe, since he has an option remaining.

Did the Twins get back Laweryson again? If so, I missed that one. 

[Doctor Wu]

20 hours ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Yeah I'm surprised he did get an MLB deal. This and the Banda trade are potentially good moves.

I'm surprised that both pitchers were obtained so easily. Sort of makes me nervous. 

[DocBauer]

I find this topic to be fascinating, but I'm going to digress for a moment. I keep thinking about a comment Bonnes made recently where he stated that he wonders if FA might have been handled differently...particularly in the bullpen...had the ownership been settled late October or early November? Instead, Tom P took charge, when, the second week of December? Would TP worked with Zoll/Falvey differently? Might they have added a veteran arm for around $7-8-9M that might have been a decent, higher leverage arm, even on a 1yr deal? Because let's be honest, the cream of the crop was gone by the time he took charge of the organization. By then, Dominguez was the last possible arm available, and they would have never given him the $10M the Dirty Sox gave him. And I wouldn't have either.

While there really wasn't anyone for the Twins to pursue as a backup SS, most of FA has actually fallen in the Twins favor. Opinions will vary, and I get that, but Bell for $7M as a DH was a solid add. And they got a really nice #2 CATCHER in Caratini...who can also help a little at 1B...also for $7M. I NEVER saw the Twins signing what I believed was the #1 option to work with Jeffers.

Currently, there's actually a handful of somewhat competent, veteran FA SP options who might help the back end of a rotation still available, that the Twins don't need for once, but have in years past. There's also a really solid 1B/2B/3B...EMERGENCY SS...available in Ramon Urias, a switch hitter with almost neutral career splits, coming off a 2.0 WAR season still  sitting there looking for a job. Unlike Clemens, he isn't really a corner OF option, and doesn't come close to having his power, but he MIGHT be a better roster fit over Clemens, or Wagaman, as a useful bench piece.

What really pisses me off is an ACTUAL 1B in Nathaniel Lowe...over 12 WAR in his career but coming off a down year...just signed a MILB deal with the Reds Saturday! He's also a switch hitter with generally neutral splits, and is durable. He's also proven to be a solid 1B defensively. IMAGINE how much better the roster construction is with a VIABLE ML 1B and letting Bell just DH instead of clinging to Larnach on the roster? 

While FA RP options came FLYING off the board early, and things might have gone differently had TP been in charge earlier...damn the dysfunction of ownership...most of FA has fallen PERFECTLY in favor of Twins needs up until this point, save an actual SS capable utility player. It's HORRIBLE roster mismanagement that Larnach is still on the roster in place of Lowe. Maybe the Twins can partially correct their poor roster construction with someone like Urias to replace Wagaman as a better roster option due to greater versatility, especially since Clemens and Caratini can also help out at 1B and allow Bell to just be the primary DH?

Again, forgive my indulgence for a RANT, but it all ultimately ties together. Had ownership had their sh*t together sooner, the pen might look different today by ONE major late inning addition. Had new GM Zoll been a little more on the button, maybe WE have Lowe on a cheap ML deal, or a better incentived MILB deal than the Reds. 

But my rambling was to prove a point, to rant, but to also reflect on the recent pen moves that HAVE happened. 

I can't and won't dismiss Hendricks for his cancer battle, which seems to have been overcome. THAT, didn't truly take his career off the rails. And while his almost immediate TJ surgery also doesn't take his career off the rails, we also know that despite generally good success these days from said procedure, it doesn't guarantee a return to the norm. Even then, it can take a full year to get full command back, even with a velocity return. What screwed up Hendricks' return was a nerve "out of place" or "pinched" that caused numbness in some of his fingers.

Now, I'm not going to blow smoke that his second, relatively minor, procedure to release pressure on a nerve is going to get him back to being what he was 3yrs ago, but it's also hard to say he WON'T make it back with cancer beat, TJ well over a year plus removed, and reports that his velocity seemed to be back in order for the Twins to offer him a MILB deal with an obvious split contract. It's interesting that he has decided to not pitch for Australia in the Classic, as he wants to work on his rehab/ramp up with the Twins.

Stringer speaks about making the roster. Maybe 6 weeks of ST allows that. Maybe he needs a little more time at St Paul just to get in a groove. So it's hard to predict his timetable for Opening Day. But if he's 85-90% of what he once was, this is a TREMENDOUS signing. But then again, it's only a MILB deal. 

The recent additions of Banda and Chaffin tells me TWO things. A] The Twins are prepared to carry 3 LHRP for matchups, with Rogers holding a position as an experienced arm for the later innings, and OTHER options in case the maturity shown by Funderburk in 2025 was an illusion. B] Prielipp, now up to 5 pitch offerings, is going to be continued as a SP, at least for NOW. He MIGHT still end up in the bullpen. But his goal is to actually "learn" how to set up hitters better.  In EITHER role, I wonder how many have thought about that process? It's easy to say he has the STUFF to be a quality RP right NOW. But he's still learning how to set up hitters and maximize his pitches. MORE IP means MORE TIME to actually LEARN how to PITCH. 

I see him starting in St Paul with the idea of LEARNING and COMMANDING his STUFF with the idea of 100+ IP, and maybe even making a late 2026 debut with the Twins in the pen.

From the remainder of the INVITES, I'm not sure I have a favorite to step forward. But the Twins always seem to find someone don't they?

Altovilla COULD BE the next Stewart. He's always had decent stuff, but has always been injured. If he's actually healthy, for once, he could be a surprise. 

I kinda like Bash as a surprise who doesn't K a lot, but seems to get outs. But does the INF defense hurt him? 

I don't think we should sleep on Raya, Lewis, or Macleod. I know Raya is not an invite. But I can't resist including him. Just given a little AAA time to adjust to his new role, and only having to throw his best stuff for 1-2 IP, I have a feeling he might surprise. 

Unfortunately, Lewis has a reportedly mild shoulder issue that will keep him sidelined for a couple of weeks. He was probably starting 2026 in St Paul regardless. But I think we forget how good he looked before 2025. He could be a major surprise later in 2026.

Macleod wasn't as bad as his ERA showed. After a solid AA, he was vastly inconsistent at St Paul. He was good some days, poor other days. But he shouldn't be dismissed for late 2026 despite recent 1yr additions. 

I'm still hoping for a surprise trade or FA signing. I guess, like most of us, I'm maybe hoping for a cheap Kopech signing with upside that might make a difference in the pen with a ring and a prayer. 

But I am also not as despondent as I was a few weeks ago with a couple "decent" options that might play out.

I at least like having a multitude of options available to sort through. Just not sure I can predict who steps forward. But IF Hendricks could be 85-90% of what he once was, that could be huge for 2026.