Brooks Lee, David Festa, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Headline Twins 2024 Spring Training Invitations

Nineteen players signed to minor-league contracts for the 2024 season were invited to big-league spring training on Tuesday. Well, they were probably called weeks ago, but you know what I mean. They will have nine pitchers (8 right-handed), four extra catchers, four infielders, one outfielder and a utility player (though I would designate two of the infielders as utility players). 

Pitchers and catchers were to report today (February 13) with their first workout on Wednesday. Position players are set to report on Saturday with the first full-squad workout on Sunday. 

Here is a quick look at the players who received spring training invitations. At the end, I also wrote up little sections on several other players that the Twins signed to minor-league contracts this offseason but did not receive the formal invitation to big-league camp. You may see several of them during spring training games as well. 

Right-Handed Pitchers

Ryan Jensen (26) - He was the first round pick of the Cubs in 2019 out of Fresno State. In 2023, he pitched in 14 Double-A games and 16 Triple-A games for the Cub. DFAd by the Cubs in early August, he was claimed by the Mariners. He pitched in 13 games for them over the final two months. In 64 1/3 innings, he had 78 strikeouts, but he also walked 54 batters. After season, he was DFAd and claimed by the Marlins. They tried to sneak him through waivers, but the Twins claimed him. The Twins then claimed Daniel Duarte and DFAd Jensen. This time, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to St. Paul. Jensen throws hard, mid 90s, and typically gets a lot of ground balls. As important, he has two options remaining if the Twins do put him back on their 40-man roster at some point. 

Matt Bowman (32) - a Princeton alum, Bowman was the 13th round pick of the Mets in 2012. He debuted as a 24-year-old in 2016 after being St. Louis’s . He pitched in 156 games out of the Cardinals bullpen over three seasons. In 2019, he pitched in 27 games for the Reds. In September 2020, he had Tommy John surgery. After the season, he signed a two-year minor-league deal with the Yankees, but he missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons rehabbing. He re-signed for one more minor-league seasons. He was called up in mid-September and pitched in three games. The Twins signed him in January. 

Jeff Brigham (31) - Brigham has been in pro ball since being drafted in 2014. He made his MLB debut with four starts for the Marlins in 2018. The following season, he pitched in 32 games for Miami and was 3-2 with a save and a 4.46 ERA. In 2020, he pitched in just one inning in one game. He didn't pitch in 2021, but he made 16 appearances for the Marlins in 2022. Last year, he pitched in 37 games for the Mets. He was 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA. In 37 2/3 innings, he had 52 strikeouts and 18 walks.  

Daniel Duarte (27) - The Twins claimed Daniel Duarte off of waivers, and less than two weeks later, he was DFAd to make room for Jay Jackson on the 40-man roster. However, Duarte cleared waivers and will remain in the organization, at least for now. The hard-throwing right-hander debuted in 2022 with three games for the Reds. In 2023, he went 3-0 with a save and a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. Duarte went unclaimed and was invited to Twins big-league spring training. 

Ronny Henriquez (23) - Look at that again. Ronny Henriquez is still just 23 years old. The Twins acquired him in the Mitch Garver trade before the 2022 season. He pitched 11 2/3 innings over three relief appearances for the Twins that season. He missed much of the first half of the 2023 season with injury and ended the season going 5-3 with a 5.68 ERA in 57 innings out of the Saints bullpen. He had 49 strikeouts, but also had 36 walks. He was non-tendered after the season, but the Twins re-signed him quickly to a minor-league deal. In his 18 games and (24 ⅓ innings), he was 1-0 with a 4.44 ERA. He had 17 strikeouts to go with 12 walks. 

Jordan Balazovic (25) - The Twins fifth-round pick in the 2016 MLB draft has certainly had his fair shares of ups and downs. Jordan Balazovic made his MLB debut last season with the Twins and got 65 days of service time. Just last week, he was DFAd so that the Twins could claim Zack Weiss. However, he cleared waivers and will remain in the Twins organization with a spring invitation. Keith Law was one of the first to put him on the prospect map and did so very early in his career. In 2021, he went 5-4 with a 3.62 ERA at Double-A Wichita with just over a strikeout per inning. However, in 21 starts for St. Paul in 2022, he was 0-7 with a 7.39 ERA. He began that season with an oblique injury. He began the 2023 season on the IL with a wired-shut mouth after an altercation at a Ft. Myers establishment the night before big-league camp began. He made three starts and was quickly moved to the bullpen. Now off of the 40-man roster, he can relax and get ready for spring training and a long season. Just 25, he’s going to get more opportunities. 

Randy Dobnak (29) - The first player that made us all aware of the United Shores Professional Baseball League. Dobnak jumped into the spotlight in 2019 when he came up and went 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in nine games (5 starts). He had 23 strikeouts and got a ton of ground balls. In 2020s short season, Dobnak got off to a great start but struggled a big late in the year. Overall, he was 6-4 with a 4.05 ERA. Before the season, he agreed to a five-year, $9.25 million with options that could have kept him in the organization through 2028. However, early in that 2021 season, Dobnak injured his finger and really struggled with command and became quite hittable. He rehabbed it for a long time, and that didn’t really help. He finally needed to have surgery. In 2023 in St. Paul, he made 26 starts and five relief appearances. He was 5-9 with a 5.13 ERA over 126 1/3 innings. That is likely where he will start the 2024 season, but it would be another great story if he got called up to the Twins again.  (Correction... Dobnak did not have an surgeries on his finger.)

David Festa (23) - Festa was the Twins 13th round pick in 2021 out of Seton Hall. Since joining the Twins organization, he has added about five mph to his fastball and is now a guy with three potentially plus big league pitches (fastball, slider and changeup). In 2022, he played at both A-ball levels and combined to go 9-4 with a 2.43 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings. He began 2023 in Wichita and went 3-3 with a 4.39 ERA. In 80 innings, he had 104 strikeouts with 33 walks. He ended the season with three starts at St. Paul. He represented the Twins organization in the Futures Game. He is the Twins Daily #6 prospect. There is a good chance that he debuts during the 2024 season.  

Left-Handed Pitchers 

Jovani Moran (26) - Moran was the Twins seventh round pick in 2015 out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. He’s always had a tremendous changeup, but he fought injuries early in his career. He debuted with the Twins late in the 2021 season. In 2022, he worked had 54 strikeouts and just 18 walks over 40 2/3 innings in 31 appearances for the Twins. In 2023, he had 48 strikeouts and 27 walks in 42 1/3 innings over 43 Twins games. Lots of strikeouts, but also throwing strikes is crucial for him. He was optioned late in the season and soon after went on the IL. After the season, he had Tommy John surgery and the Twins non-tendered him. However, they locked him in on a two-year minor-league contract right away. So, he won’t pitch in 2023, but he could still hang out at big-league spring training. 

Catchers

Chris Williams (27) - After starring at Clemson, the Twins made Williams their eighth round pick in 2018. Since signing, he has continually shown big power, but that is especially true the last two seasons. Between Wichita and St. Paul in 2022, he hit .246 with 21 doubles, 28 homers and 89 RBI. Last year, in 95 Saints games, he hit .236 with 13 doubles and 21 home runs. While he has played more first base in pro ball, he has caught more than 20 games each of the past four seasons. 

Patrick Winkel (24) - Patrick Winkel was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Connecticut. He played 21 games for the Mighty Mussels that summer. Even though he missed time early in the season with injury, he was pushed to High-A Cedar Rapids for the 2022 season. In 54 games, he hit .254 with nine doubles and six homers. He moved up to Double-A Wichita in 2023, and in 88 games, he hit .266/.362/.424 with 16 doubles and 10 homers. Winkel is considered very strong behind the plate as well. 

Alex Isola (25) - In 2023, Alex Isola made 49 starts at first base and just 13 starts behind the plate. He has basically been moved to first base, in part to keep his bat in the lineup most days, but with the need for lots of bullpen catchers in spring training, I would add Isola. In 110 games at Wichita last year, he hit .279/.366/.480 (.846) with 22 doubles and 20 home runs. 

Brian O'Keefe (30) - O'Keefe is new to the organization. Going way back, he was the seventh round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals out of St. Joseph's (alma mater of Andrew Cossetti). He made his MLB debut with two games for the 2022 Seattle Mariners. He went 1-for-3 with a walk. In 2023, he got into eight games for the M's. He went 2-for-19 (.105), but both hits were doubles!!

Infielders 

Brooks Lee (23) - Brooks Lee is preparing for his second full minor-league season by heading to his second straight big-league spring training. The eighth overall pick in the 2022 draft was the Twins Minor League Player of the Year in 2023. In 87 games for Wichita, he hit .292/.365/.476 (.841) with 31 doubles and 11 homers. He moved up to Triple-A St. Paul and in 38 games hit .237/.304/.428 (.731) with eight doubles, three triples, and five home runs. He played mostly shortstop, but it’s likely he’ll start playing all over the infield starting this spring.  

Aaron Sabato (24) -  Sabato was the Twins top pick (27th overall) in 2020 out of North Carolina. While he hasn’t hit for average and he has struck out a ton, Sabato has shown his power when he has been healthy. Unfortunately, he missed time each of the past two seasons with wrist injuries. In 2023, he hit .221/.329/.430 with 19 doubles and 12 homers in 77 games. He played 18 games in the Arizona Fall League and hit .215 with three doubles and seven home runs (tied with Kala’i Rosario for league lead). 

Outfielders 

DaShawn Keirsey (26) - Drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 draft out of Utah, DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. has been healthy the last two seasons and shown what kind of player he can be. There was a lot of concern that the Twins might lose the athletic outfielder in the Rule 5 draft. He began the 2023 season with 91 games in Wichita. He hit .305/.363/.488 with 17 doubles, five triples, and 13 home runs. He moved up to Saint Paul and hit .264/.375/.364 with a double, three triples, and two home runs in 39 games. In total, he had 39 stolen bases in 44 attempts. Keirsey also plays tremendous outfield defense. He can play all three outfield positions, but he is legitimately the fastest player in the Twins organization and profiles well in center field.   

Utility Players

Niko Goodrum (31) - The Twins drafted Niko Goodrum out of high school in Georgia in the second round of the 2010 draft. He slowly worked his way up the organizational ladder until September of 2017 when he was called up to the Twins. He had one hit in 18 plate appearances. After the season, he was DFAd. He signed with the Detroit Tigers and got the chance to play all over the diamond. In 131 games, he hit .245 with 29 doubles and 16 home runs. In 2019, he was their regular shortstop and hit .248 with 27 doubles and 12 homers in 112 games. He struggled and hit just .184 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season  and hit .214 in 2021. He played in 15 games for the 2022 Astros. In 2023, he began the season with the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate before getting the opportunity to play in Korea for a couple of months. The Twins signed him early in the offseason, and the assumption is that he’ll play all over the field. 

Michael Helman (27) - Helman had a real breakout season in 2022. In 135 games, he hit .258/.337/.432 with 23 doubles, three triples and 20 home runs. He also was 40-for-45 in steal attempts. He earned an opportunity to go to big-league spring training. Unfortunately, he was hurt throughout camp. He got into some game with the Saints early in the season before he dislocated a shoulder and had to miss a couple more months. There’s little doubt he would have debuted at some point in 2023 if not for the injuries. Helman can play all three outfield spots well, and he can play all four infield spots. He even started out his college career as a catcher. 

Anthony Prato (25) - In 2019, Anthony Prato was the Twins seventh round pick out of UConn. His breakout came in 2022 at Cedar Rapids and carried over to his time with Wichita. 2023 was a tale of two seasons for Prato. He began with 43 games in Wichita. He hit .171 with five extra base hits. He had a .553 OPS. Almost inexplicably, he was promoted to St. Paul. In 72 Triple-A games, he hit .302/.452/.539 (.990) with 23 doubles, a triple, and 10 home runs. Yes, a .990 OPS! He can play all three infield positions and the corners in the outfield.  

Which of these players have a chance at an Opening Day roster spot? Which might we see at some point during the season? 

Other Minor-League Signings this offseason that did not receive a spring training invitation. 

Beau Burrows (27) - Beau Burrows is Back! Yes, that Beau Burrows, the former first round pick of the Tigers who pitched in five games for the 2021 Twins. Yes, the Beau Burrows who gave up 15 hits (5 Home Runs) and eight walks over 9 1/3 innings with the Twins. What has he been up to since then? In 2022, he went 8-6 with a 7.18 ERA with the Dodgers Triple-A club in Oklahoma City. In 2023, he pitched in 36 games (10 starts) for Gwinnett, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He went 3-5 with a 5.67 ERA in 73 innings. 

A.J. Alexy (25) - AJ Alexy debuted with the Rangers as a 23-year-old in 2021. He went 3-1 in five games (4 starts). He pitched in four more games for the Rangers in 2022 but posted an 11.57 ERA in seven innings. Since then, he was DFAd and claimed by the Nationals. When the Nationals DFAd him a few weeks later, the Twins sent a DSL player to the Nationals to add Alexy. Three weeks later, the Twins DFAd Alexy, and he was claimed by the White Sox. He posted a 12.00 ERA in 16 games for Triple-A Charlotte before they released him. He ended his season with an 11.81 ERA in six games in the independent Atlantic League. The Twins still like his arm and signed him to a minor-league deal in mid-December.  

Hobie Harris (30) - Hobie Harris was drafted in the 31st round of the 2015 draft by the Yankees out of the University of Pittsburgh. He remained in the Yankees organization through the 2019 season, though he topped out at Double-A. He was the Rule 5 pick by the Blue Jays after that season. He didn’t pitch in 2020. He spent the 2021 season in the Toronto organization. In 2022, he posted a 2.04 ERA in 53 games with the Brewers Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. Last offseason, he signed with the Nationals and as a 29-year-old, he made the opening day roster. 

Jared Solomon (26) - Solomon was the Reds 11th round draft pick in 2017 out of Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania. In 2016, he had pitched in five games for the Randy Dobnak-led Alderson-Broaddus Battlers. He was added to the Reds’ 40-man roster after the 2020 season. Unfortunately, he missed the 2021 season following Tommy John surgery. He made his debut in May of 2022, and posted a 10.80 ERA over 8 1/3 innings over nine appearances. He was non-tendered, but he stayed with the Reds on a minor-league deal in 2023. However, he posted a 10.29 ERA over 26 relief appearances and 28 innings. He had 28 walks and 22 strikeouts. So, the Twins pitching development staff must see something of interest. 

Joe Gunkel (32) - Gunkel has had a long and winding road in baseball that has brought him to the Twins this spring. Originally the Red Sox 18th round pick in 2013 out of West Chester University in Pennsylvania. He spent time with the Sox, Orioles, Dodgers, and Marlins organizations. Following the 2019 season, he signed to play for Hanshin in Japan. In 2023, he pitched for Fukuoka Softbank. A strike thrower, he had just 12 walks and 66 strikeouts in 96 total innings pitched. 

Caleb Boushley (30) - Born in Hortonville, Wisconsin, Boushley went to UW-La Crosse. In 2017, he was the 33rd round pick of the Padres. Following the 2021 season, the Brewers claimed him off of waivers. In 2022, he went 12-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 25 starts at Triple-A Nashville. Things didn’t go as well in 2023. He made 26 starts and three relief appearances. He was 9-8 with a 5.11 ERA in 135 2/3 innings. However, Boushley received his first big-league promotion for the final series of the season. In a game against the Cubs, he came into the game with two outs in the eighth inning. He got that final out, and worked two more innings. He gave up just one run on one hit in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out five batters and was credited with the Win. No surprise to anyone that he was DFAd after the season but what a story. What a memory! He signed a minor-league deal with the Twins last month.  

Agustin Ruiz (24) - The Twins recently signed outfielder Agustin Ruiz on a minor-league deal. After spending over six years in the Padres organization, he spent 2023 with Binghamton, the Double-A affiliate of the Mets. In 105 games, he hit .203/.300/.401 with 15 doubles, two triples, and 18 home runs.  

There are a couple in this group that could be interesting as well.