Twins Add Jose Espada on Minor League Deal

[Cody Christie]

The Minnesota Twins are continuing to add depth to their pitching staff. The club is expected to sign right-handed reliever Jose Espada to a minor league contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Espada spent time with the Baltimore Orioles organization last season.

Espada has limited major league experience, appearing in just three games over the past four seasons. Despite those opportunities being few and far between, he has yet to surrender a run in five career innings. His most recent appearance came in April when he was added as the extra player for a doubleheader against Houston. Espada handled the ninth inning of a lopsided Twins victory without allowing a run.

Most of his 2026 season took place in the Triple-A Norfolk bullpen. The right-hander delivered a productive campaign, posting a 2.77 ERA across 48 2/3 innings. He also recorded a 22.8 K% while recording eight saves for the Tides.

There is one area that continues to hold Espada back. He issued walks at a 12.7% rate, giving opposing hitters additional opportunities to reach base. Strikeouts have never been a major problem for the veteran reliever, but his control has been inconsistent. That combination can make it difficult for a pitcher to earn consistent opportunities at the highest level.

Espada does have an intriguing collection of pitches. His slider is the primary offering, accounting for more than 40% of his pitches in Norfolk. He complements it with a four-seam fastball that generally sits around 94 mph and a splitter that checks in near 90 mph.

The three-pitch combination generated plenty of swings and misses during the 2026 season. Espada produced a 14.2% swinging-strike rate, giving him a useful foundation as he looks to earn another opportunity in the majors. The challenge will be turning those swings and misses into more consistent results by limiting free passes.

Espada represents a low-risk addition who can provide organizational depth while competing for a larger opportunity. His Triple-A performance gives him something to build on, and his swing-and-miss stuff could make him an interesting option during spring training. Improving his control will be an important part of that equation. 

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[Vanimal46]

He's got an option remaining which is most important with these minor league signings. The Twins should be throwing 10-15 darts just like this in the offseason and see who's next to break out. 

[MackMan]

I don't really have a thought on this other than maybe he could be a diamond in the rough. Maybe a change of scenery could be a good move for a player like this.

[Twins GFP]

45 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

He's got an option remaining which is most important with these minor league signings. The Twins should be throwing 10-15 darts just like this in the offseason and see who's next to break out. 

Agreed. The Twins should be signing a handful of these RP, guys they think they can tweak and fix, and 1 or 2 of them should stick. Probably just as "risky" as signing a FA.

[tony&rodney]

Good depth signing.

Hope this isn't the big offseason move. Zoll and crew are scary.