Twins Spring Battle: Kody Funderburk vs. Andrew Chafin

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

As the Minnesota Twins finalize their Opening Day roster, the bullpen remains one of the most fluid areas of the team. One of the biggest questions involves the final left-handed spot in the relief corps.

Several left-handed relievers are competing for as many as four available spots. Veterans Taylor Rogers and Anthony Banda are roster locks, leaving one certain spot (and perhaps a second, but perhaps not) for Kody Funderburk or Andrew Chafin. Funderburk brings youth and had a strong finish last season, while Chafin provides over a decade of MLB experience.

With the Twins unlikely to carry four left-handed relievers, one of these pitchers may end up on the outside looking in.

Why Funderburk Should Make the Roster
On performance alone, Funderburk has made a strong case to remain in the Twins bullpen. He has been sharp during spring training, posting a 1.35 ERA with a 7-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 6 ⅔ innings. That success has carried over from the second half of last season, when he became a stabilizing force in a bullpen that needed reliable innings.

After the All-Star break last year, Funderburk produced a 2.61 ERA, with 21 strikeouts and eight walks across 20 2/3 innings. Even more impressive was his dominant stretch late in the season. During August and September, he appeared in 25 games and posted a 0.82 ERA, striking out 25 batters and recording a save. That stretch suggested that Funderburk may have turned a corner in his development.

One of the biggest adjustments came from a change in his arm slot during the 2025 season. By lowering his release point, Funderburk created more deception, aided by extension that sits in the 95th percentile league-wide. That extra deception can make his fastball appear to jump on hitters faster than its radar gun reading. If those mechanical tweaks continue to pay off, the Twins could have a dependable bullpen arm who is already familiar with the organization and capable of handling meaningful innings.

Why Funderburk Could Be Left Off the Roster
Despite his recent success, Funderburk still faces significant competition for a roster spot. The Twins may simply have too many left-handed relievers. Carrying four southpaws in the bullpen would create matchup complications throughout a 162-game season, particularly when several of those pitchers struggle against right-handed hitters.

Funderburk’s splits highlight that concern. Over the last three seasons, right-handed hitters have produced a .279 batting average and a .768 OPS against him. Those numbers make it difficult to rely on him in high-leverage situations when opposing managers can counter with right-handed bats.

His overall underlying metrics also present some warning signs. While his surface numbers have looked strong at times, his WHIP has remained elevated. Even during his excellent late-season run, that figure still sat at 1.23; elite relievers often keep their WHIP around 1.00. Some of his expected metrics paint a more modest picture, as well. A 4.08 xFIP and a 76.4% strand rate suggest that some regression could occur if batted-ball luck begins to shift.

Because of those factors, Funderburk may find himself squeezed out by veteran options, even after a strong finish to last season.

Why Chafin Should Make the Roster
Chafin offers the type of veteran reliability that teams often value when shaping a bullpen. If he makes the roster, the 35-year-old will be pitching for his ninth major-league team in what would be his 13th season in the majors. Last year, he split time between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Angels, posting a 2.41 ERA with a 25.2% strikeout rate across 33 2/3 innings.

Those results suggest that Chafin still has something left in the tank, despite his age. While his strikeout rate dipped slightly from the previous season, many of his underlying metrics remained solid. His ability to miss bats and limit hard contact has kept him effective even as he moves deeper into his career.

Chafin has also proven capable of handling right-handed hitters better than many left-handed relievers. Over the past three seasons, righties have posted a .243 batting average and a .714 OPS against him. Those numbers are noticeably better than Funderburk's splits. That difference could be meaningful for a Twins bullpen that cannot always guarantee favorable matchups late in games, and who already have two locked-in lefties to handle those moments.

Why Chafin Could Be Left Off the Roster
Despite his long track record, Chafin’s case is not without flaws. One of the biggest concerns is his control. Last season, he posted a 13.3% walk rate, which created unnecessary traffic on the bases. While his ERA remained excellent, his 4.11 SIERA suggested that his true performance level may not have been quite as dominant.

His velocity is also a major red flag. All his pitches averaged under 90 mph last season, and he has been topping out in the upper 80s so far this spring. He has found a way to be successful at a lower velocity in previous years, but at some point, that level of velocity is unsustainable in modern baseball.

Health has also become a growing concern. Chafin spent time on the injured list in 2025 due to a right hamstring strain, and later dealt with left triceps inflammation. Those issues caused him to miss more than five weeks during the season.

There is also the reality that Chafin signed a minor-league contract, which means he's not guaranteed a roster spot. The Twins could prioritize a younger arm already in the organization, rather than committing to a veteran who may be nearing the end of his career—and having to make room for him on the 40-man, to boot.

The Twins’ final bullpen decision may come down to experience versus internal momentum. Funderburk offers familiarity with the organization and is coming off a strong second half that hinted at real improvement. His mechanical adjustments and strong finish make him an intriguing option if the Twins believe his development is sustainable.

Chafin brings a veteran presence and a lengthy track record of success across multiple teams. His ability to better handle right-handed hitters could make him a safer option in a bullpen that may already lean heavily on matchup-based left-handers.

Either way, the Twins appear unlikely to carry four left-handed relievers on the Opening Day roster. That means one of these pitchers will likely be watching from the outside when the season begins.

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Who will win the final left-handed relief role for the Twins? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[jkcarew]

Make the wrong choice here, and the Twins could finish 4th or 5th in the division.

[Nshore]

Funderburk will get traded for a left handed hitting outfielder.

[DarrenPS]

Truly feels like a 50/50 chance that could go either way as in my opinion there is no chance you start a season with 4 leftie relivers. I tend to lean towards start Funderburk down in AAA and he will be up when one of the two older lefties gets hurt, but Chafin's velo is a real concern. Curious to see what they do (even if others will joke and say it doesn't matter). I see the bullpen as:

Banda, Orze, Rodgers, Sands, Topa, Hendriks, Chafin, and then one of Altavilla or Kent, personally leaning towards Altavilla

[Western SD Fan]

My preference would be for the Twins to just rip the band-aid off and take Funderburk over Chafin.  When listening to the ST game today, Molitor described how players, like Chafin, who are non-roster invitees with more than 6 years' service time and finished with a team last season, must be informed whether they will make the team 5 days prior to the start of the season, which would be this Saturday.  If Chafin is not granted FA, then we likely know the answer on whether it is Chafin or Funderburk.  Sadly enough, I could see the Twins sending Funderburk to AAA with the knowledge that as soon as one of Rogers, Banda, or Chafin implode and are DFA'd that they will bring up Funderburk.

[High heat]

I think both can be in the bullpen, Funderburk has been used a lot against righties.

I know it’s not ideal to have 4 lefties but there isn’t a 5th righty who’s better at getting righties out than Funderburk.  
 

This bullpen is going to be horrible and will put us in line for 100 loss season.  Bullpen building has been terrible and we haven’t even had any injuries to it yet.  Yikes!!! Going to see a lot of AAA pitching in the majors.

[Linus]

Full disclaimer: I’m not a big Funderburk fan - no control and he dawdles on the mound. 
I would keep Chafin as I think he will actually be better and Fundy will get called up soon enough. 

[IndianaTwin]

The likelihood of Fairleigh Dickinson defeating Iowa in Saturday's NCAA women's basketball opening round is far, far greater than the likelihood of all four lefties being healthy and effective for more than a month, so having four lefties in the system isn't really a problem in the long term.

So the question is whether it's an issue in the short term. If Chafin and Fundy are both better than the fifth-best righty, keep them both, start the season with four lefties and let the issue resolve itself when one of the lefties gets hurt or fails to perform and is replaced by a righty.

If they are not both better than the fifth-best righty, use Fundy's option for the week or two until one of the other lefties gets hurt or fails to perform. 

Or if you really think you need five righties, another option is send both Abel and Matthews down for the first eight games until one is needed on April 5.

Also, remember that all the starting pitchers are righties, so the opposing lineup will almost always tilt toward the left. Plan that one of the lefties will typically be the first one out of the pen, and he will either have the platoon advantage over the lineup or force the opposing manager to use pinch hitters sooner than they intend. 

-Really IOWATwin (Go Hawks)

[LA Vikes Fan]

Given that Chafin has decent stats against right handed hitters, why is it so bad to have four lefties? I agree if both are better than the fifth best right reliever, they should both stay. I think they’re both better than Kent. The problem is, I think Altavilla is better than both of them. I look for both of them to be on the roster and one of the other guys to be on the IL, probably Topa. Then, by the time he’s ready to come back, one of the others will be either completely ineffective or hurt.

[KirbyDome89]

1 hour ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

Given that Chafin has decent stats against right handed hitters, why is it so bad to have four lefties? I agree if both are better than the fifth best right reliever, they should both stay. I think they’re both better than Kent. The problem is, I think Altavilla is better than both of them. I look for both of them to be on the roster and one of the other guys to be on the IL, probably Topa. Then, by the time he’s ready to come back, one of the others will be either completely ineffective or hurt.

He had an 805 OPS against vs. RH hitters last year. Banda and Rogers struggle against RHs and Funderburk isn't great either. You can't have half your bullpen unusable against 75% of the hitters they'll face. 

[Jack Pine]

13 hours ago, Nshore said:

Funderburk will get traded for a left handed hitting outfielder.

corner outfielder.

[bean5302]

Chafin. Hands down. He's one of the most reliable relievers in baseball while Funderburk is one of the least reliable. No idea how we got Chafin.

All Chafin does is go out and produce 0.5+ fWAR per year for cheap.

Among MLB relief pitchers with 120+ innings pitched (243 or 8 per team) from 2021-2025, Chafin ranks 41st in MLB.

[USAFChief]

15 hours ago, jkcarew said:

Make the right choice here, and the Twins could finish 4th or 5th in the division.

FTFY.

[DJL44]

15 hours ago, DarrenPS said:

Banda, Orze, Rodgers, Sands, Topa, Hendriks, Chafin, and then one of Altavilla or Kent, personally leaning towards Altavilla

Orze has had a lousy spring. Liam Hendriks has more walks than strikeouts.

[LambchoP]

Either way, our pen is going to be a major liability:(

[Nshore]

8 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

He had an 805 OPS against vs. RH hitters last year. Banda and Rogers struggle against RHs and Funderburk isn't great either. You can't have half your bullpen unusable against 75% of the hitters they'll face. 

Zoll: "hold my beer!" 

[LA Vikes Fan]

15 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

He had an 805 OPS against vs. RH hitters last year. Banda and Rogers struggle against RHs and Funderburk isn't great either. You can't have half your bullpen unusable against 75% of the hitters they'll face. 

I was reacting to the note in the article that said about Chafin - "Over the past three seasons, righties have posted a .243 batting average and a .714 OPS against him." To me at least, that isn't bad even for a RH pitcher against RH hitting. Your post only talks about last year, so I guess the question is what is more likely to be repeated - last year where he pitched 16 innings or the average of the last 3 years where he pitched a total of 104 innings. I would look at the last 3 years as a better barometer, especially for a reliever who didn't pitch a lot last year because of injury. You may disagree. 

I think the point still stands. The concern is that we can't have 4 LH relievers in the bullpen because none of them are usable against RH hitters. If, in fact, Chafin's track record suggest that he is likely to "hold" RH hitters to a .243 BA and .714 OPS, I think he is usable against RH hitters. Overall, I think we bring up the 8 best relievers even if 4 are LH, especially if Funderburk is the one on the bubble given how well he pitched the last 2 months of the 2025 season. 

Moreover, this team needs to get younger and give younger guys a chance to build a new core. Funderburk might be part of that. Same for Bradley, SWR, Abel, Mathews, Keaschall, Roden, Martin, etc. This year isn't about using guys over 30 or guys who have proven they are average at best or more likely below average, all to try to squeeze out a extra 2-4 wins. He needs a shot and I hope we can give him one. I just don't think the concern about having 4 LHs in the BP is warranted under the circumstances the Twins are now in. If getting guys their shot that have earned it that means 4 LHs in the BP, so be it. 

[stringer bell]

The real question being bandied about is whether the team should go with four lefties in the pen for any considerable span of time. I say "yes", but hesitantly. All four guys in consideration are more effective against left handed hitter and with four lefties in the bullpen, they will probably face more righties, Over the course of the season, there will be injuries and there might be ineffectiveness, so it is unlikely they will carry four lefties for most of the season.

Ideally, the lefties can still be used on mostly left handed hitters or close to 50%. The most effective way to do that is to have the starters go deep in games and allow the Twins to better pick their spots to use the lefties.

[KirbyDome89]

3 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

I was reacting to the note in the article that said about Chafin - "Over the past three seasons, righties have posted a .243 batting average and a .714 OPS against him." To me at least, that isn't bad even for a RH pitcher against RH hitting. Your post only talks about last year, so I guess the question is what is more likely to be repeated - last year where he pitched 16 innings or the average of the last 3 years where he pitched a total of 104 innings. I would look at the last 3 years as a better barometer, especially for a reliever who didn't pitch a lot last year because of injury. You may disagree. 

I think the point still stands. The concern is that we can't have 4 LH relievers in the bullpen because none of them are usable against RH hitters. If, in fact, Chafin's track record suggest that he is likely to "hold" RH hitters to a .243 BA and .714 OPS, I think he is usable against RH hitters. Overall, I think we bring up the 8 best relievers even if 4 are LH, especially if Funderburk is the one on the bubble given how well he pitched the last 2 months of the 2025 season. 

Moreover, this team needs to get younger and give younger guys a chance to build a new core. Funderburk might be part of that. Same for Bradley, SWR, Abel, Mathews, Keaschall, Roden, Martin, etc. This year isn't about using guys over 30 or guys who have proven they are average at best or more likely below average, all to try to squeeze out a extra 2-4 wins. He needs a shot and I hope we can give him one. I just don't think the concern about having 4 LHs in the BP is warranted under the circumstances the Twins are now in. If getting guys their shot that have earned it that means 4 LHs in the BP, so be it. 

Well 34 IP last year, still not a huge SS but that's pretty much always the case with RPs. What's more scary is that LHs posted a .740ish OPS against him in '24 and '23. Last year it was a ridiculously low .454 OPS. I guess he posted reverse splits in '24. If I'm betting which trend(s) from the 3 year SS continue, I think that a soon to be 36 year old LHP, who experienced durability issues last season, moving from a low .700s OPS to an .800ish OPS vs RHs is more likely than that same LHP posting reverse splits or absolutely dominating LHs. Happy to be wrong though.

I'd rather see Funderburk almost purely because of age and the maybe slim chance he has an actual future with the team beyond this season. I want him to get that shot too. To me Banda/Rogers/Chafin are redundant. The type of usage that keeps them amongst the 8 best arms is an impossibility with 4 LHs in the pen. Even with "only," 3 LHs, shielding them from RHs isn't possible. 

[KirbyDome89]

2 hours ago, stringer bell said:

The real question being bandied about is whether the team should go with four lefties in the pen for any considerable span of time. I say "yes", but hesitantly. All four guys in consideration are more effective against left handed hitter and with four lefties in the bullpen, they will probably face more righties, Over the course of the season, there will be injuries and there might be ineffectiveness, so it is unlikely they will carry four lefties for most of the season.

Ideally, the lefties can still be used on mostly left handed hitters or close to 50%. The most effective way to do that is to have the starters go deep in games and allow the Twins to better pick their spots to use the lefties.

If you have one or two lefties in your pen, at best they're close to a 50/50 split RH vs. LH faced with the 3 batter minimum. Idk how that type of split is possible with 4 LHPs in the pen. 

As far as starters go, outside of Ryan there isn't a single SP capable of even semi regularly going deep into games. Either Ober, SWR, Bradley, and Matthews/Abel are left out there to get through an order 3x, or the Twins give up on the idea of these LHP relief arms being matchup dependent. Either way, something has to give. 

[Riverbrian]

10 hours ago, stringer bell said:

The real question being bandied about is whether the team should go with four lefties in the pen for any considerable span of time. I say "yes", but hesitantly. All four guys in consideration are more effective against left handed hitter and with four lefties in the bullpen, they will probably face more righties, Over the course of the season, there will be injuries and there might be ineffectiveness, so it is unlikely they will carry four lefties for most of the season.

Ideally, the lefties can still be used on mostly left handed hitters or close to 50%. The most effective way to do that is to have the starters go deep in games and allow the Twins to better pick their spots to use the lefties.

With every Twins starting pitching candidate righthanded until you get to Prielipp and Rojas.

Our opposing teams will place left handed hitters in the starting lineup every single game. 

Cleveland and Detroit will have 6 pure left handed hitters ready to go every game.

In consideration of our right handedness in the rotation. Left handed relief pitchers should come in handy... in theory of course. 

However, 

Frankly Scarlett.... I could give a damn. If the Twins think they can math this thing together when they need talent... I worry about our present and future. 

As it stands right now... this bullpen is horrible looking on paper. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

13 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Well 34 IP last year, still not a huge SS but that's pretty much always the case with RPs. What's more scary is that LHs posted a .740ish OPS against him in '24 and '23. Last year it was a ridiculously low .454 OPS. I guess he posted reverse splits in '24. If I'm betting which trend(s) from the 3 year SS continue, I think that a soon to be 36 year old LHP, who experienced durability issues last season, moving from a low .700s OPS to an .800ish OPS vs RHs is more likely than that same LHP posting reverse splits or absolutely dominating LHs. Happy to be wrong though.

I'd rather see Funderburk almost purely because of age and the maybe slim chance he has an actual future with the team beyond this season. I want him to get that shot too. To me Banda/Rogers/Chafin are redundant. The type of usage that keeps them amongst the 8 best arms is an impossibility with 4 LHs in the pen. Even with "only," 3 LHs, shielding them from RHs isn't possible. 

Wow, I didn't know he was that lousy against LHs. My concern is that we will keep him since he can opt out and not keep Funderburk up. I agree that if we are only keeping 3 LHS, lose Chafin and keep Funderburk.  I would prefer to see a bullpen of Rogers, Banda and Funderburk as LHs with Sands, Topa, Orze and 2 of Kent, Altavilla, and Hendricks as RHs. Maybe Hendricks will be willing to go on the IL or start in AAA for a month while we sort all of this out.  I just don't want the less experienced players to lose out on valuable playing and learning time for guys like Chafin (age 36 season) or Hendricks (37).  I think we have enough experience in the BP with Rogers, Banda, Topa, and Sands - we don't need more. Give Funderburk (29) and Orze (28) a real shot. They ain't young but at least they will be around for the next 3-5 years. I'm hoping Klein, Festa, and Lawyerson get a real shot this year too. 

[jkcarew]

On 3/17/2026 at 9:44 AM, USAFChief said:

FTFY.

Exactly.

[Linus]

Funderburk is not a young pitcher and outside of 20 innings last year he hasn’t been very good. The best possible outcome for the Twins is if Chafin and Rogers both pitch well and get flipped at the deadline. That will be worth more than giving Funderburk the job out of spring training. He will get plenty of chances no matter what. 

[KirbyDome89]

4 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

Wow, I didn't know he was that lousy against LHs. My concern is that we will keep him since he can opt out and not keep Funderburk up. I agree that if we are only keeping 3 LHS, lose Chafin and keep Funderburk.  I would prefer to see a bullpen of Rogers, Banda and Funderburk as LHs with Sands, Topa, Orze and 2 of Kent, Altavilla, and Hendricks as RHs. Maybe Hendricks will be willing to go on the IL or start in AAA for a month while we sort all of this out.  I just don't want the less experienced players to lose out on valuable playing and learning time for guys like Chafin (age 36 season) or Hendricks (37).  I think we have enough experience in the BP with Rogers, Banda, Topa, and Sands - we don't need more. Give Funderburk (29) and Orze (28) a real shot. They ain't young but at least they will be around for the next 3-5 years. I'm hoping Klein, Festa, and Lawyerson get a real shot this year too. 

Concur, they're going to be terrible either way, you might as well find out whether somebody like Funderburk (or the trio you mentioned) can actually stick. 

[KirbyDome89]

1 hour ago, Linus said:

Funderburk is not a young pitcher and outside of 20 innings last year he hasn’t been very good. The best possible outcome for the Twins is if Chafin and Rogers both pitch well and get flipped at the deadline. That will be worth more than giving Funderburk the job out of spring training. He will get plenty of chances no matter what. 

Eh, disagree, Chafin isn't going to return anything of note in a trade midseason. 

[Linus]

8 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Eh, disagree, Chafin isn't going to return anything of note in a trade midseason. 

He will return something if he pitches well. 

[KirbyDome89]

8 minutes ago, Linus said:

He will return something if he pitches well. 

Danny Coulombe, who has been better the last few years, brought back a nothingburger at the deadline. 

[Vanimal46]

Today I learned I'm just a little over a month older than Chafin. No wonder why I've been fascinated by this guy anytime he appears against the Twins over the years, If we can't watch good baseball, give me characters to keep me intrigued. Andrew Chafin is the new Sheriff in town. Lives in an RV traveling the country. Dude probably crushes Miller Lites and wouldn't turn down a Marlboro Red Label after he cleaned up on the pool table at a random town dive bar. 

[Vanimal46]

This iconic guitar solo is the theme song to Andrew Chafin's life