Twins Face Roster Decision on Veteran Relievers at Triple-A

[Cody Christie]

The Twins are approaching an uncomfortable point with two veteran relievers stashed at Triple-A St. Paul. According to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, Saints relievers John Brebbia and Matt Bowman both have opt-out clauses in their contracts on Sunday, May 17. If the Twins do not add them to the major league roster, either pitcher could elect free agency.

That creates an interesting decision for a bullpen that has largely stabilized after a rocky start but still lacks proven depth behind its core group.

Brebbia entered the season as a relatively intriguing non-roster addition because of his extensive major league track record. The 35-year-old has appeared in parts of eight MLB seasons and, not long ago, was one of the most heavily used relievers in baseball. Back in 2022, he led the National League with 76 appearances while posting a 124 ERA+.

The recent results, however, have been more uneven. Last season with the Tigers and Braves, Brebbia allowed 20 earned runs across 23 1/3 innings in 22 appearances. The Twins were betting that some underlying traits still pointed toward a useful bullpen arm.

There are at least a few signs supporting that idea in St. Paul. Brebbia has made 13 appearances for the Saints and struck out 24 of the 81 batters he has faced. His 29.6% strikeout rate is his highest mark in multiple seasons, and he has issued only seven walks in 18 1/3 innings.

The run prevention numbers have not been particularly attractive. Brebbia owns a 5.40 ERA after allowing 11 earned runs, but his 4.91 FIP suggests the performance may not be quite as poor as the surface stats indicate. The swing-and-miss ability is still there, even though the overall results have remained inconsistent.

Bowman’s case is different because Twins fans already saw him contribute during the 2024 season. The veteran right-hander appeared in five games for Minnesota in 2024 and posted a 2.35 ERA across 7 2/3 innings. That came during a season in which he bounced between four organizations as a classic waiver-wire journeyman. Last season with Baltimore, Bowman struggled to a 6.20 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 24 2/3 innings, but he has looked significantly sharper with St. Paul this year.

In 20 1/3 innings, Bowman owns a 1.77 ERA with a 3.20 FIP while striking out 25.9% of opposing hitters. He has also limited walks with a 7.1% walk rate. Perhaps most importantly for a Twins bullpen that has leaned heavily on certain arms, Bowman has provided real flexibility. He has thrown more than one inning in nine of his 13 appearances.

His recent stretch has been especially impressive. Over the last 28 days, Bowman owns a 1.46 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 14 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. At some point, performance has to matter, especially for a major league bullpen that can never have enough dependable depth options.

The Twins may ultimately decide roster flexibility is more valuable than protecting either veteran from free agency. That is often the reality with opt-out clauses attached to veteran minor league contracts. Still, Bowman has made a compelling case to get another opportunity.

He has already shown he can survive in the majors, he is throwing multiple innings consistently, and his production at Triple-A has been difficult to ignore. If the Twins are going to lose one of these relievers anyway, Bowman feels like the pitcher worth betting on before another organization does.

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[LambchoP]

Give him a shot, can't be worse than what we've been throwing out there in the mid to late innings....

[mickster]

It might be time to salvage the Sheriff off the waiver wire for some depth

[Dman]

Bowman has been the best arm they have at AAA.  He still seems to get dinged with hit's many ground ball weak contact ones placed well. It's still a good WHIP though.  He looks like he deserves a shot to me.

Brebbia has good outings and terrible ones.  I think he would be hard pressed to find a job at the MLB level given his stats, but given the Twins low bar who knows.

Not sure who moves around on the 40 man if they want to add one of them, but I wouldn't mind taking a look at Bowman at the MLB level.

 

[Exiled in Illinois]

"...bullpen that has largely stabalized..."    Say what?  Are we talking about the Twins?  Who forgot to include the satire definition?