Cole Sands and Kody Funderburk Each Have a Problem Heading Into 2027

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Twins have to find better answers in the bullpen next season than they found this year, and that process starts now. There are some names that feel like they're written in pen for next year, including Yoendrys Gómez, Andrew Morris and Jeff Hoffman. Others appear likely to move on, including Taylor Rogers and A.J. Minter. Then there's a large group in between, where it's difficult to know exactly what the Twins will do.

Two of those pitchers are right-handed reliever Cole Sands and left-handed reliever Kody Funderburk. Both have pitched well enough in the past to make a legitimate case for returning in 2027. At the same time, neither has established himself as a pitcher the Twins can confidently pencil into their bullpen for an entire season. That makes their situations precarious, because Funderburk will enter the 2027 season without any remaining minor-league options, while Sands is due to pass a second time through the arbitration process.

Sands has spent five seasons with the Twins and owns a 4.42 career ERA. His 2024 season was by far his most encouraging, as he posted a 2.63 FIP while striking out 29% of opposing batters. That season gave the Twins reason to believe Sands could develop into a legitimate back-end bullpen weapon. Instead, Sands struggled in 2025, and his 2026 season was derailed by injuries. He threw just 12 innings this season, making it difficult to know exactly what the Twins will have when he reports to Spring Training next year on the other side of elbow surgery.

There's still plenty to like. Sands's 2024 season wasn't a fluke, in the sense that he showed real swing-and-miss ability. Presumably, there's still a version of Sands who could regain that form and become a very useful reliever. But there are also legitimate reasons for concern. Sands will turn 30 next season, and his four-seam fastball velocity has dropped nearly three miles per hour from its peak in 2024. After two consecutive seasons that have raised questions about his performance and health, the Twins can't simply assume that the 2024 version of Sands is going to return.

Funderburk has a somewhat different story, but the overall dilemma is similar. He has a 4.13 career ERA across four seasons with the Twins, and after struggling badly in 2024 with a 6.49 ERA, he's put together back-to-back seasons with an ERA below 4.00. This season has also been his most productive from an innings standpoint, and he has continued to show that he can be an effective option against left-handed hitters.

But there are still questions surrounding Funderburk. Even with a career-high workload this season, he's only going to finish around 50 innings. Injuries and subpar control have prevented him from putting together a full season in the majors, and much of his best work has come in lower-leverage situations. He's never been given consistent responsibility in the biggest spots against the best hitters. Like Sands, Funderburk will turn 30 next season.

The Twins have two pitchers who have shown enough to make you want to keep them, but not enough to make them sure things. Sands has the higher ceiling, particularly if he can get healthy and regain some of his velocity. Funderburk has the more recent track record of success, putting together his best two seasons in the past two years. Neither has established himself as a stable, high-leverage piece of a major-league bullpen.

Normally, that wouldn't necessarily be a huge problem. A team can carry a pitcher like Funderburk or Sands and see how things go. If the pitcher struggles, the team can send him to Triple-A, let him work through whatever is wrong, and bring him back when he is ready. That's where the options issue changes the equation. Funderburk can't simply be sent to the minors in 2027. If the Twins decide they no longer want him on the major-league roster, they would have to designate them for assignment and expose him to waivers before they could send him to Triple-A.

That means the Twins have to be more certain about Funderburk than they otherwise would—and it's hard to see how they could feel that confidence, given the way his season has unfolded. His is a particularly interesting case, because the Twins have used his minor-league options repeatedly throughout his career. He's spent parts of each of the past four seasons in Triple-A, and that flexibility has allowed the organization to move him back and forth depending on his performance and the needs of the roster. If he struggled in 2027, that would no longer be an option.

Sands presents a different problem, but an equally salient one. He's making $1.1 million this season, after becoming arbitration-eligible for the first time last winter. Though he pitched for St. Paul on a rehab assignment, he was never actually optioned there this season, so he still has one more year of optionability, but at a certain point, that's just a technicality. The Twins would have to pay him at least $1.3 million to retain him without first non-tendering him and making him a free agent. That's a modest amount, but when a team pays even that much to a player, they expect to be able to keep them in the majors as long as they're healthy. It's no guarantee that, if the Twins are on the fence about Sands as a staple of their roster next year, they'll still be willing to pay him like a full-fledged big-leaguer. They might also have some concerns about doing so with a player whose health outlook has gotten so iffy.

Heading into the offseason, the question isn't simply whether Sands and Funderburk are good enough to pitch in the majors. It's whether they're good enough to justify taking up a bullpen spot without the flexibility to send them down if things go wrong. Technically, they'll have that flexibility with Sands, but would they feel it? Will the slightly greater roster flexibility and the aforementioned high-leverage upside give Sands the edge, even though Funderburk will be $500,000 or so cheaper next season and is two years further from free agency than Sands is?

The Twins can't afford to have an entire bullpen filled with question marks. If Gómez, Morris and Hoffman are part of the plan, and if (when?) the Twins add other relievers during the offseason, there are only so many spots available. Using two of those spots on Sands and Funderburk would mean committing one-quarter of an eight-man bullpen to pitchers who have never established themselves as dependable major-league relievers for an entire season, without the easily attainable upside or the roster flexibility teams prefer for that spot.

There's a legitimate argument for keeping Sands because his 2024 season showed the possibility of having a legitimate back-end bullpen weapon. There is also a legitimate argument for keeping Funderburk. He gives the Twins a left-handed option who has shown he can get lefties out, and there is at least a chance that his recent success could lead to further improvement. The problem is that keeping both requires the Twins to make a pretty significant bet on two pitchers who still have a lot to prove. They might need to roll their dice in other directions.

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If you were calling the shots in the Twins' front office, what would you do with Cole Sands and Kody Funderburk? What do you think the Twins will do? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

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[Glorybound]

As bad as this team needs bullpen arms I am not sure what the worry is. It’s not like they are making big money. Next year is a prove it situation for this bullpen. Finding a real closer is a far bigger concern if I am the gm.

[jmlease1]

Funderburk's status depends a fair amount on what the Twins decide to do with Minter; if they re-sign him to be their primary LHP out of the bullpen then it's not too difficult to keep Funderburk as your second LHP and let him keep working on consistency and see if he can hold up to the workload. It's just tough to expect that Funderburk can be your primary LHP. I would like them to keep Minter, but who knows what his expectation is for a contract or what his market looks like. I would think that at his age and with his injury history he won't be looking at another 8 figure AAV contract, but it's hard to know what the market will be like.

Sands is really a question about how his velocity is returning from surgery. If his velocity was down because of the injury to the elbow and comes back now that he's gone under the knife and rehabs it, then he's a guy that you should look to as part of the bullpen. But if the velocity isn't there, then he's got a problem. But based on what his salary is going to be, and having an option...I think you can slot him in if you're feeling confident in his recovery.

It's true there are only so many slots in the bullpen...but there are 8 of them. Right now, Hoffman is the only one who has one for sure. Gomez & Morris have both wobbled down the stretch, but their overall body of work this season in MN says you should give them a look. So that's 3 of 8. If we bring back Minter, that's 4. Add Funderburk and Sands, and we're at 6. That still leaves room to sign a RH reliever with real velocity, while maybe slotting Adams or Nance into the last slot.

Gomez, Hoffman, RHP TBD, Minter, Sands, Morris, Funderburk, and Adams/Nance is a professional bullpen out the gate. (I'd leave Gomez in the "closer" role and deploy Hoffman as the fireman, but YMMV) Cole Sands as your 4th or 5th best guy out of the bullpen looks pretty dang good if his velocity is back. Funderburk is quite reasonable as your second lefty.

[DJL44]

Keep them both on the 40-man and figure it out next spring.

[IndianaTwin]

The Twins don't need to pay Sands $1.3 million to bring him back, do they? It seems pretty easy to say, "Would you like to sign for another $1.1 million again or would you like us to drop you and let you pursue a minor league contract somewhere?"

[DJL44]

12 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

The Twins don't need to pay Sands $1.3 million to bring him back, do they? It seems pretty easy to say, "Would you like to sign for another $1.1 million again or would you like us to drop you and let you pursue a minor league contract somewhere?"

I wouldn’t cut anyone over $200k. If you want him on the roster it’s silly to let that small of an amount of money to make a difference.

[MeleMouth]

It's more likely that at least one of Sands and Funderburk will be on the roster one year from now than Gomez will be. Gomez has been walking more than 8 batters per 9 innings the second half of the season. There is not way that his spot is "written in pen" for 2027.

[LastOnePicked]

Call Toronto or Tampa Bay and just ask them if - all things being equal - they'd want one or both on their 40-man roster. Then keep whichever ones they say they'd want.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, jmlease1 said:

Gomez, Hoffman, RHP TBD, Minter, Sands, Morris, Funderburk, and Adams/Nance is a professional bullpen out the gate. (I'd leave Gomez in the "closer" role and deploy Hoffman as the fireman, but YMMV) Cole Sands as your 4th or 5th best guy out of the bullpen looks pretty dang good if his velocity is back. Funderburk is quite reasonable as your second lefty.

Professional, but clearly below average and not playoff caliber. Minter is also quite unlikely to return. 

[gman]

As of now I go with keep them both. It's not like they have so many bullpen alternatives that they for sure can go with someone else. If come the end of spring training one or the other doesn't make the cut, so be it.

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

Gomez, Hoffman, RHP TBD

Bailey Ober

[Rosterman]

The Twins will also have Banda returning, so Fundy and Banda could be the main lefties. I wish Rozek got an end-of-the-season shot just to see....

Sands will still be cheap. I picture the Twins keeping Larnach, Wallner, Ober, Lewis beause they will have the roster spots. The only decision is do they wish to throw away money on folks that may be... untradable. You have to always judge arbitration guys against what else is in the marketplace.

The only minor league bullpen arm is Culpepper at the moment. Nowlin was a possibility but had a bad season as a lefty. Gallagher, Villimont, Armstrong might still be in the mix, Cory Lewis and Ty Langenberg are not far behind. There are aging dark horses, too - the next Paredes.

Sands, age wise, is on he wrong end of things. Is he still viable. Maybe at $1.3m. Will the Twins pay Minter, to go with the expensive Hoffman contract, for them to be the top two guys next season?

[howeda7]

I don't see how either is a dilemma. Keep them both. Funderburk for sure.

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Professional, but clearly below average and not playoff caliber. Minter is also quite unlikely to return. 

Clearly below average? Are you sure? Maybe Minter is unlikely to return, but Minter plus RHP TBD along with a full season of Hoffman along with the rest of the crew is at least a league average bullpen with potential upside. The only way it's "clearly below average" is if you let recency bias determine your opinion for 2027 on guys like Gomez and Morris, presume that Sands can't bounce back after surgery, that the Twins can't sign a decent RHP (not won't; my formulation presumes that they will here), and that someone like Funderburk will be ineffective/injured.

If you assume worst-case scenarios, the Twins bullpen will be clearly below average, I guess.

[srlarson]

why sweat it....if there is a 27 season (what are the odds)...if they have a roster spot..and loose it and you have to cut them loose....then cut them.....  wait to see what the new bargaining agreement is...then adjust....

[miller761]

Kendry Rojas ??

Bailey Ober??

Both candidates for bullpen if they don't make starting rotation.

[LA Vikes Fan]

The BP is an interesting puzzle for next year. You have to think that Hoffman, Banda, and Morris are written in pen for next year. Despite wobbling down the stretch, Gomez was 21-23 in save opportunities so I'm pretty confident he gets another spot. Nance is at least in pencil for a mid leverage spot. That's 5, with Minter re-signed it's 6.

I think Sands and Funderburk are dependent on whether we re-sign Minter and what they do with Ober and Kremer. I think only 1 stays in the rotation so they have room to start Prielipp and Matthews, and maybe Abel or Rojas if they trade Ryan (which I think happens if we can get a quality starting C, 1B, or 2B for him). I could easily see Ober in the bullpen, so that's 6, maybe 7. That doesn't leave a lot of room. I suspect Funderburk's lack of options gets him the 7th or 8th spot, with Sands, Festa, Adams, and Acton in that order either in the last spot or in AAA as the injury/ineffectiveness call ups. Those last 5 names could easily be changed around depending on ST performance or injury. All of them will pitch in the Majors next year. 

Still, much better BP group than we started last year with. Good to see.   

[Linus]

Neither are worth worrying about. Both have had a few bright moments but also long stretches of ineffectiveness. If they are back they should be the 7th and 8th arms in the pen. 

[Vanimal46]

17 minutes ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

The BP is an interesting puzzle for next year. You have to think that Hoffman, Banda, and Morris are written in pen for next year.

We could move Morris back to the rotation next year… I’m not ruling that out yet. 

[Linus]

2 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

We could move Morris back to the rotation next year… I’m not ruling that out yet. 

My humble opinion is he doesn’t have the secondary pitches to be an effective starter. I like him in the pen. Same with Festa if he comes back healthy. 

[Vanimal46]

5 minutes ago, Linus said:

My humble opinion is he doesn’t have the secondary pitches to be an effective starter. I like him in the pen. Same with Festa if he comes back healthy. 

Festa should definitely be a bullpen only option with all of his injuries. Morris yeah he may not have the secondary pitches. I think the plan should be go to Driveline or whatever personal pitching coach he has and prep to be a starter over the offseason. We can always ramp him down to a reliever again during the season. 

[HerbieFan]

I guess the two of them establish a floor for the bullpen.  Not much of a ceiling though.  

[offensive_loons_fan]

Personal opinion: neither of these guys are so central to the team, or have such great upside, or are making an amount of money that would give me heartburn about either exposing them to waivers (Funderburk) or feeling like you are burning money by sending them down if they don't perform (Sands).

If Funderburk isn't figuring it out at this point in his career, I am not worried about losing him. For Sands, I feel like the organization more broadly needs to be at a point at which a million dollars for this guy is not seen as a criminal loss. A million for what Sands could be is an ok investment. If it doesn't pan out, a million is not that much to lose. If a salary floor is implemented and the Twins are $50 million beneath it, then what's a million dollars for a guy who could hit his stride again?

The real question or problem is that a decision to do one thing is a decision not to do another. Are they keeping one and/or the other at the expense of acquiring a better option on the market? That gives me much more heartburn than either losing Funderburk or losing a million bucks with Sands.