Bryan Abreu Could Be the Bullpen Upgrade the Twins Need (Again)

[Cody Christie]

The Twins entered the 2026 season with a glaring bullpen weakness. After trading away much of their relief corps at the 2025 trade deadline, the front office spent the offseason talking about contention—without making the investments needed to build a reliable group of relievers. Anthony Banda and Taylor Rogers were the most notable additions, leaving Minnesota with plenty of questions heading into Opening Day.

Those concerns quickly became reality. Twins relievers combined for a 5.19 ERA in the first half, ranking 29th in MLB. Minnesota opened the season relying on a collection of inexpensive arms with limited track records, including Eric Orze, Cody Laweryson, Justin Topa, and Zak Kent. The group struggled to provide consistent innings, and the bullpen repeatedly turned winnable games into losses.

The front office eventually addressed the problem by acquiring Jeff Hoffman, A.J. Minter, and Tommy Nance at the trade deadline. Hoffman and Nance are under team control for 2026, but Minter is a free agent. Yoendrys Gómez and Andrew Morris also emerged as useful options, giving the Twins a more dependable collection of arms down the stretch. However, the improvement was more about escaping the bottom of the league than building an elite bullpen. Of the names above, only Hoffman has relief ace upside, and he underwent (relatively minor) elbow surgery earlier this month. 

If Minnesota wants to return to postseason contention in 2027, it needs to take a more aggressive approach to its bullpen construction. Bryan Abreu, who nearly joined the Twins during the 2026 season, should be among the team's top free-agent targets.

Bryan Abreu Offers an Established Track Record

Abreu has developed into one of MLB's most effective setup relievers over the past five seasons. The right-hander has posted a 2.56 ERA, held opponents to a .198 batting average, and recorded 476 strikeouts across 344 innings in that span. Those numbers demonstrate his ability to miss bats and handle important situations against opposing lineups.

Abreu features a high-90s fastball that can overpower hitters, paired with a wipeout slider that gives him a reliable secondary offering. When both pitches are working, he has the stuff to dominate even the best hitters in the game. He has a 2.49 ERA in 23 career playoff appearances, and he pitched high-leverage innings for the 2022 Astros as they charged to a World Series victory.

Control has been the biggest obstacle throughout Abreu's career. He experienced a disastrous April this season, posting a 12.54 ERA while issuing 15 walks. However, he bounced back after May 1, recording a 2.19 ERA, a .181 opponents' batting average, and 64 strikeouts in 53 innings. That turnaround reinforced what teams have seen from Abreu over several seasons. Entering his age-30 season, Abreu would offer Minnesota a proven reliever who can immediately strengthen the back end of its bullpen, with relatively little risk of collapse.

The Twins Already Tried to Acquire Him

Abreu is more than a theoretical fit for Minnesota. The Twins reportedly had an agreement in place to send outfielder Trevor Larnach to Houston in exchange for the right-handed reliever ahead of this year's MLB trade deadline, before Astros owner Jim Crane vetoed the deal. The failed transaction provides a strong indication that Minnesota's front office recognizes Abreu's value. Rather than surrendering a prospect for another rental, the Twins were willing to discuss moving an established major-league hitter to bring in a reliever who could help their pitching staff immediately.

Houston ultimately pivoted to a different outfield solution, acquiring Daulton Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays. Meanwhile, the Twins pursued other bullpen options and eventually added Hoffman, who provided another established right-handed arm.

Both Abreu and Hoffman had rebounded from difficult Aprils, but their contractual situations created an important distinction. Abreu was approaching free agency, while Hoffman is under contract through 2027. The Twins had internal replacements for Larnach, even if moving him would have reduced their outfield depth. His strong offensive season could increase his trade value this winter, creating another reason for Minnesota to explore a deal if the right opportunity emerges.

That history makes Abreu an especially logical name to revisit. The Twins already identified him as a player worth pursuing, and free agency would give them another opportunity to bring him to Minnesota without negotiating a prospect-for-player trade with Houston.

What Would It Take to Sign Abreu?

The biggest question is whether Minnesota's front office will commit the money necessary to land a reliever of Abreu's caliber. Elite bullpen arms can be expensive, particularly when they have a lengthy record of success and the ability to generate strikeouts at a high rate. Abreu's age, velocity, and track record should attract interest from multiple contenders. The price, in other words, will be high.

There's risk attached to spending big money on any relief pitcher. Abreu's control issues have contributed to his occasional rough stretches, and even dominant relievers can experience significant year-to-year volatility. Minnesota would need to evaluate that risk profile very differently when considering offering him a multi-year deal worth (in all likelihood) over $25 million than they did when preparing to trade for him as a short-term boost.

Still, the potential reward is substantial. Abreu could handle high-leverage situations and give the Twins another reliable option against the heart of an opposing lineup. His strikeout ability would also help limit the damage caused by traffic on the bases, a critical skill for a team that cannot afford to let late leads slip away—and one that doesn't play very good defense, on the whole.

Adding Abreu would not solve every problem in Minnesota's bullpen. The Twins would still need dependable middle relief, sufficient depth to cover injuries, and a clear plan for the ninth inning. However, signing one established arm would give the rest of the relief corps a more defined role.

Minnesota Needs to Follow Through This Time

The Twins had a chance to acquire Abreu at the trade deadline, but circumstances outside their control prevented the deal from happening. That should not end their pursuit. Minnesota's bullpen was a significant weakness in 2026, and relying on a collection of inexpensive, unproven relievers is not a sustainable way to build a contender. The additions of Hoffman, Minter, and Nance helped stabilize the group, but the Twins need more high-octane talent if they expect to compete with the American League's best teams.

If Minnesota is serious about improving its bullpen for 2027, Abreu should be near the top of its list. This time, they need to turn their interest in an elite bullpen arm into a lasting investment.

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Should the Twins target Abreu in free agency? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

Image courtesy of Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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[tarheeltwinsfan]

Sign Vesia (lefty) and Abreau (righty) to go with Hoffman, Morris, Gomez, Nance, Banda (L), plus either Sands or Funderburk (L) and that's a pretty decent relief staff. I'm sure Ryan, Bradley, Lopez, Mathews, Ober, Prielipp (L) and Kremer  would really appreciate it.

[thelanges5]

I just hope we can get some of the top guys to want to come to Minnesota.  

[Patzky]

9 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

I just hope we can get some of the top guys to want to come to Minnesota.  

There'$ alway$ a way.

[Chembry]

Abreu would be a valuable addition to our bullpen.  We already know the Twins like him, they thought they traded for him.  I just don't think the Twins will commit the likely at least 2yr and the likely $12-15M AAV he is going to command.

Personally, I like Evan Phillips better and may be more attainable given he is older and coming off a shortened season recovering from TJ surgery.  However in the 26 innings he pitched from July through playoffs, his stuff was as good as pre-TJ.    

[nicksaviking]

I don't trust relievers that have only had success with one team. 

But I absolutely do not want this team blowing their payroll on a bunch of third tier free agent bats, so if throwing money at the bullpen keeps them from doing that, it's the preferrable move I suppose.

[MeleMouth]

Not much says "we're going to start paying attention to the little things" less than paying a lot of money for a reliever with terrible control.

His pitch quality is also down, with his fastball 1.5 to 2 MPH slower than it was from 2022 to 2025, rating below average for the first time in years, and his second pitch, his slider, also rating much worse this year. This year, his 4-seamer resulted in a 121 wRC+ and his slider was 113. Not a guy to sign, much less give a big contract to. 

But this article doesn't discuss his pitch quality at all. Instead, it's yet another "let's sign this guy we've all heard of who used to be good" article that contains only superficial, well-known facts.

[LambchoP]

We need a high leverage righty and a high leverage lefty. I'd go Abreau for sure. Then try to sign Vesia or Minter.

[ashbury]

19 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I don't trust relievers that have only had success with one team. 

Yeah if Mariano Rivera comes out of retirement at age 56 I'm turning thumbs down.  😀

[TopGunn#22]

It's really too bad the Twins couldn't complete the Larnach for Abreu trade at the trade deadline, but if I was the Astros owner, I wouldn't have just vetoed the trade, I'd have fired the FO for even considering it.  It would have been a steal for the Twins. 

MeleMouth makes a good point.  A deeper dive on Abreu would be helpful.  But I just gotta say, this kid has been lights out for 5 consecutive years.  The Twins would still have had to wrestle for him in FA for next season even if we had succeeded in acquiring him, but I think he's an excellent target.  He's always walked more guys than you would like.  But he generally throws about 70 innings a season and strikes out about 90.  

That's pretty good.

Chembry's suggestion of Evan Phillips is also good.  So it comes down to cost

Spotrac estimates Abreu (30 years old) to cost around $10-$11 million per year for 2-3 years.  Phillips (32 years old) is estimated to get $9 to $10 million per year, probably a maximum of only 2 years.  I guess I'd rather invest in the slightly younger Abreu but either would be a NICE addition.  

One of the reasons the Twins dismantled a pretty good BP was COST.  Duran and Jax were in line for some healthy raises.  Duran should have been extended if the Twins REALLY thought they were going to be contenders.  Jax wanted to be a SP and he did a pretty credible job for the Rays.  Would it have been better to just keep Duran and Jax?  Probably.  But the Twins are going to have to spend some serious money to bring in an Abreu and a Vesia or Minter.  At least we got Taj Bradley for Jax (good trade) and Abel and Tait for Duran.  

[HeresWaldo]

There's no such thing as a bad one year deal and if they want him that's certainly good in the sense that it would mean investing something in the bullpen which would be a pleasant change of pace, but I don't get the obsession with Abreu specifically.

Every major Twins writer is mentioning him and he had a really nice five year run in Houston, but the stuff is pretty clearly in decline. Even after bouncing back from a rough start to the year, his Stuff+ in the second half of the season was worse than it's been at any point since the breakout in 2022. Similarly, his fastball velocity bounced back, but it was still worse than any of his post-breakout years. As a solid 3rd guy in a non-elite bullpen he's probably fine, and there is always some chance of a bounce back, but if his second half of this year (the good part of this year for him) is his new normal he's not an elite arm anymore.

Again, no such thing as a bad one year deal, but it's odd to me how hard it feels like Twins fans are pushing to get the guy with a 101 Stuff+, terrible command, and declining fastball velocity.

[jmlease1]

It was interesting that Abreu seemed to be available at the deadline from a team that was trying to close the year with a playoff spot. Was that because of his declining stuff, terrible start to the season, or something else?

I don't know that Abreu is the right pick, but he's got a lot of the attributes you're looking for and has been the kind of RHP the Twins need to sign. He's been healthy, consistently effective and impactful (yes, even with the awful start to 2026), has real velocity, and shouldn't be on his last legs at 30. The profile is generally right, it's really just a question of whether you think he'll bounce back a little bit (or just maintain) or if you think he's on the start of a real and significant decline.

The other question is really what kind of contract Abreu or a pitcher of his ilk will demand in the market; if people are handing out 3 year deals, it's going to be a challenge for the twins because I don't think that's something they're particularly interested in for relievers, especially ones that are on the wrong side of 30. 1 or 2 years? Much more workable.

There's plenty of talent available, but demand will be significant as well as everyone will have watched this year's playoffs and seen how impactful strong bullpens are. So I really don't know where the wages will land.

Not opposed to Abreu, but we shouldn't get too locked in on him just because he names came up a lot during the season.

[Brandon]

The Twins need to get two quality relievers this off-season.  I figure they will sign one and trade for one.  I haven't figured what a good trade would be but we have Ober and we could include a prospect too.  Find someone with 3-4 years of control and less than 2 million salary.  The exercise for Twins daily is to find several fair trade ideas and vote for the best one.

[Coach Wheels]

If the Astros would still take Larnach now, make the trade.

[DocBauer]

Abreu remains my #1 choice based on age, past performance, and experience in big moments. I'm also a fan of Phillips the more I read about him. (Just wasn't very familiar previously). He's a little older, but he responded very well in his comeback from TJ. And with a "new" elbow, I wouldn't have a problem offering him a 2 year deal. Abreu also for that matter. 

One RH to either set up Hoffman, or take over the closer role Andover Hoffman to set up really changes the complexion/depth of the pen.

There's a handful of LH options I like, but I think the top 2 are off the board for the Twins. Honestly, I'd be very happy to have Minter back for another year.