Taylor Rogers Plans to Pitch in 2027

Taylor Rogers has already experienced just about everything a reliever can encounter during an 11-year major league career. He has been an All-Star, changed teams multiple times, and, most recently, returned to Minnesota as a veteran presence in a young bullpen. Apparently, he isn't ready to call it quits.

Rogers plans to continue pitching in 2027, which would be his age-36 season. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale, Rogers would prefer to remain with the Twins if the opportunity is there. His other preferred destination would be Toronto, where he could reunite with his twin brother, Tyler, in the Blue Jays' bullpen.

That gives Minnesota something worth considering this offseason. Rogers signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Twins last winter after spending four seasons bouncing between five different organizations. His return didn't produce the dominant results he had during his first stint in Minnesota, but he remained a useful piece for a club that desperately needed veteran stability in its bullpen.

The results were fairly ordinary. Rogers posted a 4.33 ERA across 60 1/3 innings while striking out just 19.6% of opposing hitters and walking 11.2%. Both his strikeout rate and 34.6% ground-ball rate were career lows.

There were some encouraging numbers hidden underneath those results, though. Rogers allowed hard contact at an exceptionally low rate. His 28% hard-hit rate was the best mark of his career and ranked in the 98th percentile among MLB pitchers. He also surrendered only five home runs, producing the lowest home-run rate of his career. He was better suited for lower-leverage work rather than the late-inning role he once occupied.

That doesn't necessarily make him expendable. Rogers also became one of the veteran voices in Minnesota's bullpen. LaTroy Hawkins specifically praised his mentorship of younger pitchers, and Rogers even helped Hawkins during the former All-Star's first season as a major league coach. There is also a familiarity factor. Rogers knows the organization, has a relationship with manager Derek Shelton and clearly remains comfortable in Minnesota.

If the Twins can bring him back for something close to his previous $2 million salary, it could work for both the team and the player. Rogers may not be the dominant closer he once was, but experienced left-handed depth, clubhouse leadership and a low-cost contract could all be useful for a bullpen that needs reinforcements.

Sometimes the easiest offseason decision is simply keeping someone who already knows where everything is.