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Anthony Misiewicz Anthony Misiewicz Finds work with Minnesota
Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 10:33 AM
Misiewicz signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Saturday and was invited to spring training, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Analysis: Misiewicz appeared in just one game for the Yankees last season while spending most of the year in Triple-A, where he finished with a 3.90 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 55.1 innings. He'll attempt to win a spot in the Twins' bullpen during spring training, but there's a better chance he begins the year with Triple-A St. Paul. |
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Armando Alvarez Armando Alvarez Signs minor-league deal with Twins
Sun, Jan 12, 2025, 5:44 PM
Alvarez signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Jan. 2.
Analysis: Alvarez spent the 2024 campaign with the Athletics organization, batting .315 with 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 46 runs scored and four stolen bases over 75 games with Triple-A Las Vegas. Additionally, the 30-year-old played in 16 games with the A's, batting .243 with a double, two RBI, seven runs scored and a stolen base over 37 at-bats. Alvarez will report to Triple-A St. Paul ahead of the 2025 season and he'll look to impress to potentially garner a shot with the Twins' major-league roster at some point during the year. |
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Trevor Larnach Trevor Larnach Reaches deal with Twins
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 4:29 PM
Larnach agreed to a one-year-contract with the Twins on Thursday to avoid arbitration.
Analysis: The financial details of the new deal between between Larnach and the Twins are not currently available. The outfielder finished the 2024 season with a .772 OPS and 15 homers. He found himself in a platoon role against right-handed pitchers as he made 99 starts against righties and just two against lefties. |
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Joe Ryan Joe Ryan Settles at $3 million
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 1:04 PM
The Twins and Ryan (shoulder) avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract Thursday, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Analysis: It's a big raise for Ryan, who had been eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. The right-hander earned the pay bump after posting a 3.60 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 147:23 K:BB over 135 innings in 2024. Ryan missed most of the final two months of the season with a shoulder strain but is expected to be ready for spring training. |
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Jhoan Duran Jhoan Duran Gets $4.125 million from Minnesota
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 12:38 PM
The Twins and Duran avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $4.125 million contract Thursday, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Analysis: Duran had an elevated 3.64 ERA but a quality 66:15 K:BB over 54.1 innings of work with the Twins in 2024. He is at the top of the pecking order for saves again in 2025, although manager Rocco Baldelli isn't shy about using other relievers to close games on occasion. |
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Royce Lewis Royce Lewis Settles with Minnesota
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 12:35 PM
The Twins and Lewis avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.625 million contract Thursday, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Analysis: Lewis was in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The talented infielder slashed a disappointing .233/.295/.452 with 16 home runs over 82 games in an injury-shortened 2024 campaign. |
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Bailey Ober Bailey Ober Receives $3.55 million for 2025
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 12:32 PM
The Twins and Ober avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.55 million contract Thursday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Ober will get a well-deserved pay bump in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The big right-hander put up a 3.98 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 191:43 K:BB over a career-high 178.2 innings and career-high 31 starts in 2024. |
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Ryan Jeffers Ryan Jeffers Avoids arbitration with Minnesota
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 12:29 PM
The Twins and Jeffers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $4.55 million contract Thursday, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Analysis: Jeffers had been eligible for salary arbitration for a second time. The catcher took a step back offensively in 2024 with a .226/.300/.432 batting line but still cranked a career-high 21 home runs. He's currently slated to share catching duties with Christian Vazquez in 2025. |
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Willi Castro Willi Castro Settles with Minnesota at $6.4M
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 12:02 PM
The Twins and Castro avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.4 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: It was the 27-year-old's final year of arbitration eligibility, as he's slated to hit the free-agent market next offseason. Castro slashed .247/.331/.385 with 12 homers and 14 steals in a super-utility role with the Twins and 2024 and should serve in a similar capacity in 2025. |
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Diego Cartaya Diego Cartaya Gets chance in Minnesota
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 11:31 AM
The Twins acquired Cartaya from the Dodgers on Thursday in exchange for minor-league right-hander Jose Vasquez.
Analysis: Once regarded as the one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball, the 23-year-old Cartaya has seen his stock plummet over the past two seasons while his plate skills and power output have both trended downward during his stops between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. With Dalton Rushing also leapfrogging Cartaya on the organizational catching depth chart, the Dodgers elected to move Cartaya off the 40-man roster last week, even though he still has a minor-league option remaining. The Twins have swooped in to take a chance on Cartaya, but he'll still likely be headed to the Triple-A level to begin the 2025 campaign with Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vazquez locked in as the catching tandem at the big-league level. |
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Griffin Jax Griffin Jax Strikes deal for 2025
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 10:47 AM
Jax and the Twins avoided arbitration Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.365 million contract, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Jax was arbitration eligible for the first time, coming off a 2024 campaign in which he turned in a tidy 2.03 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 95:15 K:BB while collecting five wins, 10 saves and 24 holds in 71 innings out of the bullpen. Though reports earlier in the offseason suggested that Jax could be a candidate to move into the rotation in 2025, general manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed Wednesday that the right-hander will remain a key part of the late-inning ranks during the upcoming season. Jhoan Duran will presumably head into spring training as the Twins' preferred closer, but Jax will likely be first in line for save chances if Duran misses time or is removed from the role for performance-related reasons. |
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Griffin Jax Griffin Jax Will remain in bullpen
Wed, Jan 8, 2025, 1:05 PM
Jax will remain in the Twins' bullpen rather than move into the rotation, general manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed Wednesday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Analysis: The Twins' coaching staff indicated earlier in the offseason that a shift to the rotation for Jax was a possibility, but it appears it's no longer being considered. Jax was a starting pitcher in the minors and made 14 starts for the Twins in 2021, but he's since blossomed as a reliever, most recently posting a 2.03 ERA and 95:15 K:BB over 71 innings in 2024. The 30-year-old will enter the upcoming season as Minnesota's top setup man, but he picked up 10 saves last season and, with manager Rocco Baldelli not committed to traditional bullpen roles, Jax should see some save chances in 2025. |
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Mike Ford Mike Ford Nabs NRI deal with Minnesota
Thu, Jan 2, 2025, 11:30 AM
The Twins signed Ford to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
Analysis: Ford put up a .411 OPS over 17 games with the Reds in 2024 and finished the year with Japan's Yokohama DeNA Baystars of Nippon Professional Baseball. The 32-year-old has clubbed 37 homers in 781 plate appearances at the big-league level, and the Twins do have an opening at first base, but Ford is far down in the pecking order. |
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Mickey Gasper Mickey Gasper Sent to Minnesota
Tue, Dec 24, 2024, 4:34 PM
The Twins acquired Gasper from the Red Sox in exchange for Jovani Moran on Tuesday.
Analysis: Gasper played in his first 13 big league games during 2024, but he played in Triple-A Worcester for the most part. In his sixth year of minor league action, he had his best season yet. The catcher slashed .367/.471/.592 with eight home runs and 36 RBI across 204 plate appearances. However, in his brief time elevated in Boston, he was not able get a hit in 18 at-bats. The 29-year-old was able to finish the year up with the Red Sox. |
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Darren McCaughan Darren McCaughan MiLB contract with Minnesota
Thu, Dec 12, 2024, 9:58 AM
The Twins signed McCaughan to a minor-league contract Dec. 4.
Analysis: McCaughan, 28, held a 6.21 ERA over 42 innings between the Marlins and Guardians in 2024. The right-hander has experience as a starter and a reliever, and it's unclear which role the Twins have planned for him, but he'll likely begin the 2025 season at Triple-A St. Paul. |
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Royce Lewis Royce Lewis Position not yet determined
Tue, Dec 10, 2024, 3:23 PM
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday that the team has not yet determined which position Lewis will play next season, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Analysis: Lewis has been taking grounders on both sides of the second-base bag this offseason, but whether the 25-year-old ultimately settles in at third base or second base in 2025 will be decided "when we see what our roster overall is gonna look like," per Baldelli. The skipper did respond with "he can do it" when asked about Lewis' ability to handle second base. Lewis made one start at the keystone in 2024, with his other 49 starts in the field coming at third base. |
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Matt Wallner Matt Wallner Healthy heading into spring
Tue, Dec 10, 2024, 12:22 PM
Wallner is not expected to have any issues related to his season-ending September left oblique strain by the time spring training begins, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Analysis: It wasn't thought that this would be a long-term concern, but it's still good to hear his injury won't have more serious ramifications. After starting the 2024 season in Triple-A, Wallner found his stroke in the second half and hit .272 with a .914 OPS and 10 home runs over his final 55 games. |
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Huascar Ynoa Huascar Ynoa Minor-league deal with Minnesota
Tue, Dec 10, 2024, 9:44 AM
Ynoa has signed a minor-league contract with Minnesota, Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated reports.
Analysis: After missing the 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Ynoa opened the 2024 campaign at full health and occupied a spot in Triple-A Gwinnett's rotation, only to be shut down in mid-April with elbow inflammation before he hurt his shoulder in August during a rehab assignment. Ynoa was signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Twins at age 16, so he returns to a familiar franchise. He could be a nice depth piece for the Twins if he can return to full health this spring. |
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Alex Speas Alex Speas Joins up with Minnesota
Sun, Nov 24, 2024, 4:08 PM
Speas agreed to a minor-league contract with the Twins on Sunday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Analysis: The right-hander made one big-league appearance in 2024 and had a 12.13 ERA in 32 outings across four organizations at the Triple-A level. Speas will provide the Twins with some organizational bullpen depth and isn't likely to be a factor in the majors. |
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Justin Topa Justin Topa Avoids arbitration with Minnesota
Fri, Nov 22, 2024, 5:31 PM
Topa agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins on Friday to avoid arbitration.
Analysis: Topa started the 2024 regular season on the Twins' 15-day injured list due to left patellar tendinitis, and he was transferred to the 60-day IL in late May after an MRI revealed a small tear in his left patellar tendon. Topa managed to return from the injured list Sept. 25, and across three outings he threw 2.1 scoreless innings while striking out two batters and allowing one hit. The 33-year-old right-hander should be good to go for spring training. |
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