Twins Trim Two Relievers from Bullpen Competition

[Cody Christie]

Spring training is entering its final stretch, and the roster decisions are starting to come quickly.

With Opening Day set for March 26 against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, the Minnesota Twins are beginning to finalize the final pieces of their pitching staff. On Monday, the club reduced its bullpen competition by sending two relievers out of major league camp.

Minnesota reassigned right-handers Julian Merryweather and Grant Hartwig to minor league camp as the organization inches closer to setting its Opening Day bullpen.

Both pitchers entered camp as non-roster invitees looking to pitch their way onto the major league roster. With the calendar now showing mid-March, the Twins are clearly entering the phase of spring where roster battles become more defined.

The moves leave the organization with 45 players still active in big league camp, including 21 pitchers. However, that number does not fully reflect the group competing for Opening Day jobs. Right-hander David Festa is expected to begin the season on the injured list, while right-hander Travis Adams has been limited by elbow inflammation during camp.

If Adams is not ready for the start of the season, the Twins would be left with roughly 13 relievers competing for what is expected to be eight bullpen spots on the 26-man roster.

Merryweather showed flashes early in camp before his progress was halted by injury. The hard-throwing right-hander strained his left hamstring during his first Grapefruit League appearance on February 24. Since then, he has thrown several bullpen sessions but has not yet returned to game action.

Hartwig saw plenty of work this spring, appearing in seven Grapefruit League games. The results were uneven as he allowed eight earned runs on seven hits and two walks across 7 1/3 innings.

For both pitchers, the reassignment does not necessarily close the door on helping the Twins later this season. Injuries and performance fluctuations often lead to bullpen shuffling throughout the year, and strong outings in the minors can quickly put a reliever back on the radar.

For now, though, Minnesota continues narrowing the field. With only days remaining before the season opener in Baltimore, the Twins are quickly approaching the moment when speculation ends, and the final 26-man roster becomes reality.

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[stringer bell]

I would expect one or both of those guys to spend time in the Twins' bullpen in the 2026 season. Merryweather caused a stir early in camp, but was injured. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Is Topa guaranteed a spot? He's been so bad this spring. Maybe he's working on some different things and its just an outlier but oof, he doesn't look like someone that the Twins can count on. Orze has also struggled of late.

[thelanges5]

Altavilla is back from his time with team Italy. Should get in a couple more games here (only 6 left).  He’s looked pretty good so far, although not on the 40 man.  

[bean5302]

Topa is going to get a spot. Nobody cares about ERA for relievers in ST. If anything, the front office will look at Topa's elite looking 32% K rate and ensure he remains on the roster.

The only a few concerns with MiLB ST invite guys are:
How did their stuff look? (not much to go on here)
Do they have an opt-out? No.
Do they have options? No.
If the don't have an opt-out, what are the consequences of trying to DFA them?

Altavilla is on a MiLB contract and he doesn't have an opt-out. He's not making the team. If the Twins DID add Altavilla to the roster, they'd risk losing him if they wanted to DFA him because A) teams could pick him up off waivers and B) Altavilla has 5+ years service time and he could refuse an assignment... which he would.