Taylor Rogers Should Be Twins’ Closer for Remainder of Season

There isn't much left for the 2026 Minnesota Twins to accomplish. The postseason is no longer a realistic possibility, and the final days of the season are increasingly about evaluating young players, making decisions for 2027, and figuring out which pieces might still fit into the organization's next chapter. There is, however, one thing the Twins could do that would make these final games a little more meaningful: Give Taylor Rogers the baseball in the ninth inning.

Rogers has mostly worked in lower-leverage situations since returning to Minnesota this season, and there have been some bumps along the way. That isn't particularly surprising. He's a 10-year veteran who is no longer the dominant reliever he was during his first stint with the organization. But this season was never really about Rogers returning to Minnesota and becoming the bullpen's next great closer. It was about coming home.

Rogers is nearing the end of his playing career. His return to the Twins gave him an opportunity to reach 10 years of service time and (potentially) finish his career with the organization that drafted him. If that is, indeed, where this story is heading, Minnesota should give him a proper sendoff. There's a pretty simple way to do it. Let Rogers close games for the rest of the season.

From Kentucky to Minnesota

The Twins selected Rogers in the 11th round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of the University of Kentucky. At the time, he wasn't a bullpen prospect. Rogers worked his way through the Twins' minor-league system as a starting pitcher, posting a 3.33 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across parts of five seasons.

Eventually, however, it became apparent that his future was in the bullpen. The move changed his career. Rogers made his major-league debut in 2016 and initially worked in lower-leverage situations. Over the next few seasons, he gradually climbed the bullpen hierarchy, becoming one of the most reliable left-handed relievers in baseball.

From 2017 through 2019, Rogers posted a 2.75 ERA, 161 ERA+, and 1.07 WHIP. He averaged nearly 2.0 rWAR per season during that stretch. Then came 2019. The Bomba Squad won 101 games, and Rogers was an important part of the team's bullpen. He converted 30 saves, establishing himself as a legitimate ninth-inning option while helping Minnesota reach the postseason.

The following two seasons weren't quite as dominant, but Rogers remained an effective reliever. From 2020 through 2021, he posted a 3.58 ERA, 120 ERA+, 1.26 WHIP, and 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings. In 2021, Rogers made the only All-Star team of his career. That offseason, everything changed.

The Trade that Changed Everything

Rogers entered the spring of 2022 as Minnesota's presumed closer. Then, on the eve of Opening Day, the Twins traded him to San Diego. Minnesota sent Rogers and Brent Rooker to the Padres in exchange for Chris Paddack, Emilio Pagán, and Brayan Medina. It was a trade that came back to bite the Twins in more than one way. 

Rogers's first chapter with the Twins was over. The next four years took him all over baseball. He spent time with the Padres, Brewers, Giants, Reds, and Cubs. He was traded twice at the MLB trade deadline during that stretch. There was even a unique chapter in San Francisco, where he got the opportunity to play alongside his twin brother, Tyler Rogers. Rogers also earned a significant payday during his time away from Minnesota. He's made more than $55 million during his career, with the largest portion coming from the three-year, $33-million contract he signed with the Giants.

Eventually, though, Rogers found his way back to where it all started.

One (or Two) More Saves

Rogers currently has 52 saves as a member of the Twins. That puts him two saves away from tying Mike Marshall for 10th place on the franchise's all-time saves list. There's no guarantee Minnesota will even have two more save opportunities before the season ends. That's the unfortunate reality of asking a team with little left to play for to manufacture opportunities for a veteran reliever. But it would make for a pretty fitting ending. The Twins are scheduled to face the Angels three more times this weekend and head to San Francisco after that, before returning home next weekend for a series against the Texas Rangers.

Give Rogers a chance to pick up No. 53 against the Angels. Then, if the opportunity presents itself, let him take the mound for one final save at Target Field against Texas. It doesn't have to be elaborate. It doesn't have to be a retirement ceremony. It doesn't even have to be particularly dramatic. Just give Rogers the ninth inning. Of course, the Twins still have to win the games. If Rogers is struggling, there's no reason to put a game in jeopardy simply to manufacture a milestone. But when the situation calls for a traditional closer, Rogers should be the guy.

There is value in giving younger relievers opportunities, and Minnesota should absolutely continue evaluating its bullpen for next season. But there are also moments when baseball is about something other than the next transaction or projection. This is one of those moments. Rogers spent the first half of his career becoming a legitimate late-inning weapon in Minnesota. He helped anchor a 101-win team. He made an All-Star team. He left, traveled around the league, played alongside his brother, earned a life-changing contract, and eventually came back home.

Now, his career may be coming full circle. The Twins don't know exactly how many games Rogers has left. They don't know if this will actually be his final season. They don't know whether another organization will offer him an opportunity in 2027. But they do know what he has meant to the organization. And they know exactly how to give him one more moment. Give Rogers the ninth inning. Even if it's only one more game.

Should Rogers be Minnesota’s closer over the final week? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

Do you approve of Twins ownership?

Do you approve of Twins ownership?

• Do you approve of Twins ownership? Required
  

  
• Save

See All Twins Polls >