mn twins designated for assignment

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Twins Designate Matt Bowman For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | April 30, 2024 at 2:00pm CDT

The Twins announced that right-hander Jhoan Duran has been reinstated from the injured list, as had been reported on earlier this week. In a corresponding move, right-hander Matt Bowman has been designated for assignment.

Bowman, 33 next month, signed a minor league deal with the Twins in the offseason. He was added to the 40-man roster just over two weeks ago, after throwing six scoreless frames in Triple-A, and has since pitched 7 2/3 innings over five appearances in the majors.

He only allowed two earned runs in that time, which is why his earned run average looks nice right now at 2.35. However, the underlying metrics have been less impressive. He has six strikeouts and four walks, leading to respective rates of 19.4% and 12.9% thus far. His 57.9% ground ball rate is strong but he wasn’t going to maintain a .056 batting average on balls in play nor a 90.9% strand rate. That’s why his 5.64 FIP and 4.38 SIERA are much higher than his ERA in this small sample.

Since Bowman is out of options, the Twins had to remove him from the 40-man roster entirely in order to open an active roster spot for Duran. They will now have one week to trade Bowman or pass him through waivers. If the latter scenario were to come to pass, he has over three years of service time, giving him the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency instead. However, he doesn’t have five years of service, meaning he would have to forfeit the remainder of this $925K salary to return to the open market.

Elbow injuries, including Tommy John surgery, prevented Bowman from pitching in official game action from 2020 to 2022. He was able to return to the mound last year, tossing 58 2/3 innings for the Triple-A club of the Yankees with a 3.99 ERA. He struck out 22.6% of batters faced in that time while giving out walks at an 11.7% rate and getting grounders at an 51.9% clip. He also tossed four innings for the Yanks in the majors but was outrighted after the season, which allowed him to sign with the Twins.

12 Comments

What’s his assignment?

Free to a good home. Kidding on that of course, but lots being left out with regards to this guy last few days on this site. Something has been going on behind the scenes regarding him.

Team doesn’t just DFA a cheaply controlled, 26yo closer, who happens to dominate 2y straight, sit 100+mph, coming back from injury (now) or not who still has an option year.

no.. there has to be at least 1 serious wart with this guy. Twins fans might know, some hardcore fans of theirs.

Was wondering the same thing.. makes no sense to DFA this guy.

Who, Bowman? Are people reading this way different than I am?

Matt Bowman is a 4A reliever ever since Mike Matheny destroyed his arm from 2016-2017. He had bad peripheral numbers that were prime for regression

I watched the guy this year. Great break on his stuff. I think it just comes down to this – our bullpen is stacked. Justin Topa is due to finish rehab soon too.

Sure they do, it’s the entire point of the 40 man roster. The Twins used him to cover a short term need brought on when several of their MLB-ready relievers went on the DL at the same time. Instead of bringing up someone who was not ready they added a throw-away guy who they could try to pass back through waivers rather than risk losing someone younger they care about, like Festa for example.

Also, Bowman is not the guy you’re describing, which is why he was freely available last winter. He could definitely be an improvement for a lot of bad bullpens, so I expect he’ll be grabbed (Hello Chicago!) but better him than one of the youngsters they don’t want to start the clock on.

You do realize they are DFA-ing Bowman, not Duran, right?

I feel like Duran coming back is the bigger news for the headline.

I believe that’s called “Burying the lede.”

Man poor Matt Bomer………oh wait

Yankees have their Tonkin replacement.

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The twins designate ex-reds reliever for assignment.

• April 30, 2024
• Matt Graves, Site Manager

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins announced that right-hander Jhoan Duran has been reinstated from the injured list. Right-hander Matt Bowman has been designated for assignment. Minnesota added the reliever on a minor league contract with a non-roster spring training invite. Bowman is out of minor league options as the Twins couldn’t send him to Triple-A St. Paul. He made five scoreless appearances for the Saints to begin the year. On April 13, the Twins selected Bowman’s contract for the major league roster. Despite Bowman’s departure, he pitched very well helping the Twins bullpen during his brief stay. He made five appearances over an 11-day span, posting a 2.35 ERA with six strikeouts and three holds in 7 2/3 innings.

He pitched very well and certainly looks like he’s capable of being a useful middle reliever wherever he ends up.

We have announced the following roster move: pic.twitter.com/SQFR6z3v56 — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 30, 2024

Matt Bowman Exits Twins 40-Man Roster

Bowman, 32, made a return to the majors last season following a lengthy injury absence. Between the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, Bowman threw over 180 innings between 2016-19. He became a solid middle-innings reliever during that tenure, turning in a sub-4.00 ERA in three of his four seasons while keeping the ball on the ground more than 55 percent of the time.

Bowman’s Battle with Injuries

The injuries intervened with Bowman, including an elbow sprain that cost him the shortened 2020 season. After unsuccessfully rehabbing the injury, he required Tommy John surgery that September. He missed another two full seasons after going for surgery. In that span, he had a two-year minor league pact with the New York Yankees. However, Bowman came back to the club on another non-roster deal last winter.

When he finally got healthy, he spent most of the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He allowed 3.99 earned runs per nine innings across 58 2/3 innings. He struck out an average of 22.6 percent of opponents with an 11.7 percent walk rate. The walk rate was higher than usual, but it’s not uncommon for pitchers to struggle with some command issues after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Brief Stay in the Majors

Bowman’s efforts in the minors were enough for Yankees manager Aaron Boone to give him a brief look. He was added to New York’s 40-man roster after the All-Star break to keep him from a free agent. The Yankees didn’t call him up until September, pitching three times with four innings of four-run ball with three strikeouts and a pair of walks. The Yankees outrighted him from the 40-man roster at season’s end, hitting the free agent market once again.

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Twins designate tyler duffey for assignment, promote cole sands.

Tyler Duffey has been with the Twins ever since the organization took him in the fifth round of the 2012 draft.

But his tenure with the team likely came to an end Friday, as the Twins designated him for assignment after a season of struggling out of the bullpen.

The 31-year-old righthander was one of a trio of Twins relievers who each gave up three runs in Thursday's 9-3 loss to Toronto. And while Emilio Pagan and Trevor Megill were still in uniform for Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Duffey's locker in the clubhouse was empty.

"That decision is as tough as it gets," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of the "emotional" move. "… There are decisions that have to be made. This was one of them that was really hard. It took some time and some contemplation before we got there, but we thought it was something that we had to do."

The Texas native has been a fixture in the Twins bullpen for half a decade. He debuted in 2015 as a starter, transitioning to a relief role two years later. His two strongest seasons were in 2019 — when he put up a 2.50 ERA in 57⅔ innings — and the pandemic-shortened 2020, where he had a 1.88 ERA through 24 innings.

But this season has been among his worst. In 44 innings, he tallied a 4.91 ERA with three blown saves. His first appearance this year was one of those, when he gave up three hits and two runs in the ninth inning in a 4-3 loss to Seattle. Three games later against Kansas City, he did the same.

He blew another game against the Royals on May 26, giving up four hits and three runs with a walk for another one-run loss. He did have a stretch of 13 games through June and July when he didn't give up a run and picked up just the sixth save of his career. But he began to trend downward again taking the loss — for a 4-2 season record — at Milwaukee on July 26 before giving up a three-run homer in his next appearance at San Diego a week ago.

Duffey pitched a clean inning against Detroit on Tuesday, but in the final 1⅔ innings of Thursday's game, he surrendered four hits — including a homer, the eighth off him this season — as well as a walk along with his three runs.

"Never imagined growing up that I'd end up in a Minnesota Twins uniform and become a proud snowbird for the last 8 seasons," Duffey wrote in a text message to the Star Tribune. "Forever grateful for the opportunity provided to me by the Twins. In a blink, I went from E-Town in 2012 with a bunch of future All Stars, to being an old guy in the clubhouse today.

"My family and I have made life-long friends with some incredible people here. What I've learned here will continue to help me on the journey ahead.''

• Tyler Duffey statistics

Another team can claim Duffey off waivers. If that doesn't happen, he can either accept an assignment with the Twins' Class AAA affiliate and stay in the Twin Cities to play for the Saints. But he will more likely elect free agency and sign elsewhere.

The Twins also Thursday officially released Joe Smith , a veteran reliever who joined the team in spring training. The trade deadline brought in new relievers in Michael Fulmer and Jorge Lopez , but fellow bullpen arm Caleb Thielbar said the turnover is always hard to see.

"It's never easy. Two really good guys I've known for a long time, both of them. So it's tough," Thielbar said, adding he loved them like brothers. "This game is a business, and you never really understand that until you get to this level, really. But that's just how it goes. I mean, it's happened to me. It's going to happen to everyone in here. So you just have to move forward and just move on to the next day."

In Duffey's absence, the Twins called up Cole Sands , a righthander who has appeared in five games with three starts for the Twins this year. Pitchers Jharel Cotton and Aaron Sanchez , also recent DFAs, cleared waivers Friday and accepted assignments with the Saints. Pittsburgh claimed catcher Jose Godoy , though.

Kepler, Miranda updates

Baldelli said right fielder Max Kepler could potentially return Saturday, the first day he is eligible to come off the injured list for his broken toe. Kepler took batting practice ahead of the game Friday.

"He's going to have to feel comfortable being able to run, make plays, slide, swing the bat, do everything he needs to do," Baldelli said. "But I think we're in a pretty good spot right now with Kep."

Jose Miranda took a pitch off his left wrist in Thursday's game and still has some swelling and bruising. But an X-ray on Friday did not reveal any fracture, and the hot hitter was able to make the Friday lineup at third base.

"We may have dodged something there," Baldelli said. "I was anticipating him being pretty banged-up coming. … It did hit him pretty squarely. He did have a piece of padding on that batting glove, just by chance, where he got hit. I think it might even have been an emblem of the brand or whatever it is. I don't know if that helped or not. But maybe it did."

Star Tribune staff writer Patrick Reusse contributed to this report.

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Derek Falvey explains why Twins designated Jordan Balazovic for assignment

By josh hill | feb 7, 2024.

Part of the reason the Minnesota Twins were able to bounce back after a summer slump to finally snap a 19-year postseason losing streak was the influx of young talent that boosted the roster. Guys like Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien established themselves as key pieces of the lineup, and were joined by other homegrown players such as Bailey Ober, Matt Wallner, Ryan Jeffers, and Louie Varland.

The fliip side of that coin is what happened with Jordan Balazovic.

Once a promising top prospect for the Twins, Balazovic's time with the team came to an unceremonious end on Wednesday. To make room for the recent additions of Carlos Santana, Jay Jackson, and Zack Wiess, Minnesota desginated three players for assignement with Balazovic being among that group.

Bubba Thompson and Daniel Duarte -- two players the Twins recently claimed off waivers -- were also DFA'd.

It's a bummer way for Balazovic's tenure with the team to end. Just five years ago he was showing signs of being a potential star after posting a 2.69 ERA while striking out 129 batters in 93 2/3 innings at Single-A.

He failed to deliver on that early promise, and fell out of favor due to his performance on and off the field . Now a guy who was once a Top 100 prospect is hoping to find a new team to try and rebuild his career with.

Twins explain decision to DFA Jordan Balazovic

After the move was made, Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey addressed the decision to release Balazovic in a way that makes it seem like his days in Minnesota are over.

"Jordan obviously has had some ups and downs along the way. Has been on a good track at times and then has struggled at different times. That doesn't mean that there isn't a great future ahead for him and you never know how this shakes out," Falvey said . "Ultimately [we] still really think highly of Jordan's mix and things that he can continue to do but at this time, it didn't fit as well on our 40-man.

There's an outside chance he comes back, but he would need to clear waivers. That goes for all three players the Twins DFA'd on Wednesday, as they can be stashed at Triple-A without taking up a 40-man roster spot if another team doesn't claim them.

With that said, the Twins aren't obliged to add any player that cleared waivers back to its system. Falvey left the door slightly propped open for that scenario in speaking highly of Balazovic's potential, but everything else seems to indicate this might be the end of the road for him with the Twins.

More Minnesota Twins news and rumors

The Twins Designate Ex-Reds Reliever for Assignment

O n Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins announced that right-hander Jhoan Duran has been reinstated from the injured list. Right-hander Matt Bowman has been designated for assignment. Minnesota added the reliever on a minor league contract with a non-roster spring training invite. Bowman is out of minor league options as the Twins couldn’t send him to Triple-A St. Paul. He made five scoreless appearances for the Saints to begin the year. On April 13, the Twins selected Bowman’s contract for the major league roster. Despite Bowman’s departure, he pitched very well helping the Twins bullpen during his brief stay. He made five appearances over an 11-day span, posting a 2.35 ERA with six strikeouts and three holds in 7 2/3 innings.

He pitched very well and certainly looks like he’s capable of being a useful middle reliever wherever he ends up.

Matt Bowman Exits Twins 40-Man Roster

Bowman, 32, made a return to the majors last season following a lengthy injury absence. Between the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, Bowman threw over 180 innings between 2016-19. He became a solid middle-innings reliever during that tenure, turning in a sub-4.00 ERA in three of his four seasons while keeping the ball on the ground more than 55 percent of the time.

Bowman’s Battle with Injuries

The injuries intervened with Bowman, including an elbow sprain that cost him the shortened 2020 season. After unsuccessfully rehabbing the injury, he required Tommy John surgery that September. He missed another two full seasons after going for surgery. In that span, he had a two-year minor league pact with the New York Yankees. However, Bowman came back to the club on another non-roster deal last winter.

When he finally got healthy, he spent most of the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He allowed 3.99 earned runs per nine innings across 58 2/3 innings. He struck out an average of 22.6 percent of opponents with an 11.7 percent walk rate. The walk rate was higher than usual, but it’s not uncommon for pitchers to struggle with some command issues after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Brief Stay in the Majors

Bowman’s efforts in the minors were enough for Yankees manager Aaron Boone to give him a brief look. He was added to New York’s 40-man roster after the All-Star break to keep him from a free agent. The Yankees didn’t call him up until September, pitching three times with four innings of four-run ball with three strikeouts and a pair of walks. The Yankees outrighted him from the 40-man roster at season’s end, hitting the free agent market once again.

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Minnesota twins | twins designate long-tenured reliever tyler duffey for assignment.

But the Twins haven’t seen that level of performance this year, and Duffey’s time with the team — which began when he was drafted 10 years ago out of Rice University — came to an end on Friday when the Twins designated one of the longest-tenured members of the team for assignment.

While manager Rocco Baldelli called the decision “as tough as it gets,” given the emotional nature of it, he said it wasn’t necessarily the “most complicated of decisions.”

“There are decisions that have to be made,” Baldelli said. “This was one of them that was really hard. It took some time and some contemplation before we got there but we thought it was something that we had to do and therefore if we think it’s the right thing to do, we have to do it.”

Duffey had 4.91 earned-run average at the time the decision was made. It came after a game in which he surrendered a pair of inherited runs before allowing a three-run homer Thursday night to Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as a tight game between two playoff contenders turned into a blowout 9-3 loss.

The veteran reliever was given the first crack at a save opportunity this season just days after his good friend Taylor Rogers was dealt to the Padres. But that resulted in a blown save, and while the righty eventually had a stretch of more than a month in which he did not give up a run, he was unable to recreate the type of performance he turned in over the past three seasons.

After converting to the bullpen full time, Duffey found his footing in the majors in 2019. He posted a 2.50 ERA that season, striking out 82 batters in 57 2/3 innings. During the truncated 2020 season, he had a 1.88 ERA and 0.795 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched).

“It’s tough to see because you know he has a lot of ability. He’s got good stuff, he’s a guy that in general can execute …  he’s capable of a lot of different things,” Baldelli said. “And honestly, if we saw those things that we know he’s capable of — and we tried different things and he’s made some adjustments along the way —  but if we saw more of those things, the decision probably wouldn’t have been made.”

BULLPEN SHAKEUP

News of Duffey’s fate came just days after the Twins parted ways with another veteran pitcher, Joe Smith, prompting an emotional time in the clubhouse, especially for the group of relievers who have spent so much time with both pitchers.

“It’s never easy. Two really good guys I’ve known for a long time, both of them,” lefty Caleb Thielbar said. “It’s tough. This game is a business, and you never really understand that until you get to this level, really.”

The Twins’ bullpen has been shapeshifting all season because of injury and underperformance, but it’s been especially shaken up this week because of the trade deadline. The Twins added a pair of new faces in Michael Fulmer and Jorge López to help supplement the group.

Of the 10 relievers the Twins began the season with, only Thielbar, Jhoan Duran and Emilio Pagán remain on the active roster. Three — Duffey, Smith and Jharel Cotton — have been designated for assignment this week. Danny Coulombe and Jorge Alcala both have had season-ending surgery. And two more — Josh Winder and Jhon Romero — are on the injured list.

“It’s hectic,” Thielbar said of the past few days in the bullpen. “It’s nothing unexpected, but yeah, it’s different.”

Third baseman Gio Urshela was out of the starting lineup for the second straight day on Friday. … Cotton and Aaron Sanchez both cleared waivers and will report to Triple-A St. Paul. … Max Kepler (toe) is eligible to come off the injured list on Saturday, which Baldelli said was “on the table.” Sunday is also a possibility for the outfielder. … Baldelli said he is not expecting Winder or Bailey Ober , both injured, to return to the Twins this month. … … Catcher José Godoy was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates. … Reliever Joe Smith cleared waivers and was released. Olympic gold medal gymnast  Suni Lee threw out the first pitch at Friday night’s game.

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Minnesota Twins designate RP Tyler Duffey for assignment/release

Tyler Duffey #21 of the Minnesota Twins looks on after pitching to the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning of the game at Target Field on August 4, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Blue Jays defeated the Twins 9-3.  ((Photo by David Berding/Getty Images))

MINNEAPOLIS - It’s been a tough season for Tyler Duffey, and he may have thrown his last pitch with the Minnesota Twins in Thursday night’s 9-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field.

The Twins announced before Friday night’s game against the Blue Jays that they’ve designated Duffey for release or assignment. He’ll be placed on waivers and if he’s not claimed, he could take a minor league assignment or become a free agent. Duffey made 40 relief appearances for the Twins this season and was 2-4 with a 4.91 earned run average. He had 39 strikeouts and 15 walks in 44 innings.

Duffey pitched 1 2/3 innings Thursday night and gave up three earned runs on four hits. The Blue Jays pulled away from the Twins in the late innings, highlighted by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hitting a three-run homer to left off Duffey.

The Twins replaced Duffey on the roster by recalling pitcher Cole Sands from the St. Paul Saints.

Duffey was drafted by the Twins in 2012 and made his big league debut in 2015. He was in his eighth season with the Twins and in 295 games, had a 29-27 record with a 4.57 ERA.

Tyler Mahle, acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, his expected to be the starting pitcher and make his Twins’ debut Friday night. At 55-50, The Twins still have a one-game lead in the American League Central Division over the Cleveland Guardians, and a two-game lead over the Chicago White Sox.

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Twins Closer Jhoan Durán Activated From Injured List, Matt Bowman Designated For Assignment

By Lou Hennessy

The red-hot Minnesota Twins are getting their closer back, after the fireballer missed the last six weeks of action with an oblique strain. He’ll be available Tuesday night in Chicago, as the club tries to extend their winning streak to nine games. 

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The Twins are activating Jhoan Durán from the injured list, which should improve the back end of an already solid bullpen picture. To make room on the active roster, the club is designating righty Matt Bowman for release or assignment, per their announcement.

Durán has been one of the premier arms in the American League since making his debut in 2022, and there’s a case to be made for him being the most electric arm in club history. In his first two seasons of action at the major-league level, the righty has dazzled with a combined 2.15 ERA and a stellar 33.2% strikeout rate. His fastball has touched 104 MPH, and his high-90s splinker and hard curveball have proven to be excellent complements to that heat. He’ll join Griffin Jax and Blake Stewart as high-leverage arms in the club’s relief corps.

Durán’s return is pretty much right on schedule, based on the club’s comments at the onset of his injury diagnosis. The speculation was that it would be a four- to six-week recovery period, making early May a target for his return. But after two rehab outings in St. Paul last week, the club decided to send him straight to Chicago to join the major-league unit.

The team is taking a risk by designating Bowman for assignment, as it will expose him to other teams who could be interested in submitting a waiver claim. The veteran hurler was surprisingly effective in his five games with the Twins, pitching to a 2.35 ERA across 7 2/3 innings, with six strikeouts against four walks. His underlying metrics left much to be desired, though, as he had trouble missing bats (20% whiff rate) and gave up plenty of hard contact (47.4% hard-hit rate). In the unlikely event that every other team passes on their opportunity to claim the 32-year-old, he could theoretically remain in the Twins' organization, albeit off the 40-man roster. 

Other speculated candidates who could have been removed from the major-league roster to make room for Durán include lefty Kody Funderburk (2.38 ERA) or righty Cole Sands (1.35 ERA). Both have minor-league options remaining, and could therefore avoid being exposed to the waiver wire.

The club will likely have to make another roster decision shortly, as righty Justin Topa has started a rehab stint with the Saints, and assuming all goes as planned, he should be ready for activation in the coming week. For now, though, they'll keep the impressive Funderburk and Sands around and risk losing Bowman.

What do you think? Can Durán reclaim his throne as the hardest-thrower in baseball? Was designating Bowman for assignment the right call? What should the club do when Topa returns? Let us know what you think in the comment section, and as always, keep it sweet.

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• kody funderburk
• nicksaviking , DocBauer , Patzky and 6 others

By Michael Haas 14 hours ago

By Ted Schwerzler 15 hours ago

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weneedneshek 308

• Verified Member

Posted April 30

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His first action back being closing out our 9th straight win sure would be sweet

• Parfigliano , DocBauer , Jocko87 and 2 others

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Share on other sites, dman 10,177.

Bowman was the right choice.  They still have reserve arms as it is so even if Bowman is lost they are fine. Just rip the band aide off and get it over with.  Odds are he is still the same pretty average to below average pen arm he always has been so just let it play out.  Keeping the best arms in the pen is the way to go.  Good job FO!! 

• DJL44 , Parfigliano , DocBauer and 15 others

arby58 1,569

It's the right move - both Funderburk and Sands are part of the Twins future, and Bowman much less so. I sort of expected Funderburk to do well and have been pleasantly surprised by Sands. Perhaps the idea of sending Sands down to 'stretch him out' has some merit, although Sands might be following a long line of so-so starters who did well coming out of the pen. Speaking of so-so starters, Louie Varland's first start at St. Paul went pretty well - 5 IP, 1 ER, 4 hits, 1 walk, 5 Ks. 

• DocBauer , cjj td , wabene and 1 other

LonelyseatinMOA 85

Bowman will be missed, it isn't surprising that some advanced stats didn't like him as they tend not to like groundball pitchers like Bowman. However, I'll be more upset when they send Funderburk back down for Topa as they really don't need three lefties. What concerns me is that the other two, Okert and Theilbar, haven't exactly been inspiring. But then again I don't need to nitpick what has been the best bullpen in baseball so far.

• Kummel and nicksaviking

Mike Sixel 47,133

• Old-Timey Member

5 minutes ago, Dman said: Bowman was the right choice.  They still have reserve arms as it is so even if Bowman is lost they are fine. Just rip the band aide off and get it over with.  Odds are he is still the same pretty average to below average pen arm he always has been so just let it play out.  Keeping the best arms in the pen is the way to go.  Good job FO!! 

• arby58 , nicksaviking and wabene

12 minutes ago, LonelyseatinMOA said: Bowman will be missed, it isn't surprising that some advanced stats didn't like him as they tend not to like groundball pitchers like Bowman. 

No question Bowman pitched well for the Twins.  A zero ERA at AAA which is no small thing with the Auto K zone there and while a bit ugly with the walks he did well at the MLB level too.  He helped himself with that great start.  Another team will pick him up so it will work out for him in the end.

The Twins have Alcala and Henriquez at AAA right now on the 40 man and I see it looks like WInder is on a rehab assignment.  So they have a fair number of arms in case of injury not to mention one more arm will be pushed down when Topa comes back.  Would be nice to get Bowman back, but if not there are plenty of farm arms waiting to come up.

• DocBauer , Brazilian Twins Fan , CCHOF5yearstoolate and 9 others

Hawkeye Bean Counter 1,313

13 minutes ago, Dman said: No question Bowman pitched well for the Twins.  A zero ERA at AAA which is no small thing with the Auto K zone there and while a bit ugly with the walks he did well at the MLB level too.  He helped himself with that great start.  Another team will pick him up so it will work out for him in the end. The Twins have Alcala and Henriquez at AAA right now on the 40 man and I see it looks like WInder is on a rehab assignment.  So they have a fair number of arms in case of injury not to mention one more arm will be pushed down when Topa comes back.  Would be nice to get Bowman back, but if not there are plenty of farm arms waiting to come up.

I don't think its a guarantee he gets pick up but is a likely scenario.   In either case he is an arm to throw out there, that gave us 7 solid innings.  Ultimately can't complain with that.  He performed well.  Whether here or another team, he will likely get another opportunity.  

• MN_ExPat , Mike Sixel , DocBauer and 1 other

Yeah...somebody will pick him up. I doubt he clears and goes to StP.

Parfigliano 4,063

Bowman out Duran in.  What a great upgrade to the bullpen.

9 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said: I don't think its a guarantee he gets pick up but is a likely scenario.   In either case he is an arm to throw out there, that gave us 7 solid innings.  Ultimately can't complain with that.  He performed well.  Whether here or another team, he will likely get another opportunity.  

It is possible he clears as there is a reason he had to take a minor league deal.  His K9 is low for the MLB level as he is more of a ground ball pitcher.  Still any team looking for a hot hand or that has injuries or under performers in the pen, I have to believe they would be willing to use him to fill a 40 man spot.  He has generally been a mid 3 to 4 ERA arm.  His main issues are no options left and not a high K guy so the FIP and xFIP are gonna likely be higher.  Still with the success he has had to start I would be very surprised if all teams passed on him, but we will know in a week.

stringer bell 20,213

51 minutes ago, Dman said: No question Bowman pitched well for the Twins.  A zero ERA at AAA which is no small thing with the Auto K zone there and while a bit ugly with the walks he did well at the MLB level too.  He helped himself with that great start.  Another team will pick him up so it will work out for him in the end. The Twins have Alcala and Henriquez at AAA right now on the 40 man and I see it looks like WInder is on a rehab assignment.  So they have a fair number of arms in case of injury not to mention one more arm will be pushed down when Topa comes back.  Would be nice to get Bowman back, but if not there are plenty of farm arms waiting to come up.

Staumont is also at St. Paul. Honestly, I don’t think it would be a huge loss if Bowman is claimed. 

• Dman , DJL44 , DocBauer and 5 others

2wins87 2,463

A little more surprised by this one than Martin for Correa.

I still don't fully buy Bowman's numbers, but he did pitch well and will very likely get picked up by someone.  Sort of expected them to kick the can down the road a little bit by sending Funderburk down.

But with Topa also coming back soon, I don't think Bowman should have taken priority over both Funderburk and Sands.  Sands has not only been really good but he still is one of the best options for length out of the pen, so I think that would have been tougher to justify.

Probably the right move to just get it over with now.

• wabene and Dman

nicksaviking 31,456

• Community Moderator

1 hour ago, LonelyseatinMOA said: Bowman will be missed, it isn't surprising that some advanced stats didn't like him as they tend not to like groundball pitchers like Bowman. However, I'll be more upset when they send Funderburk back down for Topa as they really don't need three lefties. What concerns me is that the other two, Okert and Theilbar, haven't exactly been inspiring. But then again I don't need to nitpick what has been the best bullpen in baseball so far.

Okert and Jackson are the two I'd get rid of first. I'm not protecting Thielbar just because he's a 'legacy' player, but unlike those two, his velocity hasn't decreased this year, which makes me think he's the more likely of the three to pick up the pace.

But yeah, let's not sweat losing (and paying) these gray beards at the cost of keeping the best players on the team.

Thielbar was in a worse spot at this point in the season in 2022.  Then he was pretty much lights out for the rest of the season and finished with an ERA in the low 3s.  I am always wary of the aging curve catching up to him, but he's been one of the best lefty relievers in the game since 2020, so he's earned a chance to right the ship.

I'm not crazy about Okert either.  His career HR rate isn't much better than Pagan's and his command has been pretty iffy.  Still, it's way too early to give up too much bullpen depth.  If guys like Okert or Jackson are struggling come midseason, I would hope they are willing to make moves.  For now I think hording depth is still smart.

• Dman , Punto4President and DJL44

Fire Dan Gladden 2,239

Sure, he pitched well during his time here.  But we are talking about potentially losing the last guy in the BP.  This is seriously not an issue...

• Dman , Jocko87 , nicksaviking and 2 others

Jocko87 3,313

This was the easy call I guess, it gets interesting when Topa is ready.  I am a bit surprised they didn't use an option but that may speak to their view on him passing waivers.  

Shaitan 2,441

2 hours ago, CRF said: Yeah...somebody will pick him up. I doubt he clears and goes to StP.

He's better than Tonkin, who I believe costs more and keeps getting picked up.

• Punto4President and FlyingFinn

ashbury 55,094

An aspect of the move I didn't notice being discussed it that it opens up a spot on the 40-man roster, which would not be the case had they optioned one of the younger players.  The 26-man active roster is full at the moment, but next time there is an opening, might they add someone who currently isn't on the 40?  Waiver-wire pickup, or is there someone in the minors who is making the case for a promotion?  (I count 20 pitchers and 19 position players, so my bet would be a pitcher to take the empty spot eventually.)

darwin22 1,635

Just asking:  What is the argument to keep Jay Jackson as part of this bullpen when Topa is ready to be activated?

36 minutes ago, ashbury said: An aspect of the move I didn't notice being discussed it that it opens up a spot on the 40-man roster, which would not be the case had they optioned one of the younger players.  The 26-man active roster is full at the moment, but next time there is an opening, might they add someone who currently isn't on the 40?  Waiver-wire pickup, or is there someone in the minors who is making the case for a promotion?  (I count 20 pitchers and 19 position players, so my bet would be a pitcher to take the empty spot eventually.)

WInder is rehabbing in low A so if\when they have to add him I assume they will use that spot when he comes off the IL. I was kind of surprised they added Henriquez back to 40 man so fast.  They must believe he is ready, but they could have waited on that move IMO.

• wabene , roger and ashbury

14 minutes ago, Dman said: WInder is rehabbing in low A so if\when they have to add him I assume they will use that spot when he comes off the IL. I was kind of surprised they added Henriquez back to 40 man so fast.  They must believe he is ready, but they could have waited on that move IMO.

Oh, good point, I forgot about there being players on the 60-day.  That would be a clear use for the spot.

Posted May 1

57 minutes ago, darwin22 said: Just asking:  What is the argument to keep Jay Jackson as part of this bullpen when Topa is ready to be activated?

Jay Jackson is earning $1.3M this season, plus a $200K buyout for the club option on 2025.  Topa is earning only $1.25M.

You didn't say it had to be a good argument.  😀

FlyingFinn 3,616

1 hour ago, Dman said: I was kind of surprised they added Henriquez back to 40 man so fast. 

I believe the Twins think they can pass Henriquez through to St. Paul when they DFA him. Didn't he get DFA'd over the winter and nobody took him?

• Doctor Wu and Dman

2 hours ago, ashbury said: An aspect of the move I didn't notice being discussed it that it opens up a spot on the 40-man roster, which would not be the case had they optioned one of the younger players.  The 26-man active roster is full at the moment, but next time there is an opening, might they add someone who currently isn't on the 40?  Waiver-wire pickup, or is there someone in the minors who is making the case for a promotion?  (I count 20 pitchers and 19 position players, so my bet would be a pitcher to take the empty spot eventually.)

Time to start the Dobnak rumors.

• DJL44 , ashbury and Doctor Wu

jorgenswest 8,079

3 hours ago, ashbury said: Oh, good point, I forgot about there being players on the 60-day.  That would be a clear use for the spot.

Festa pitched really well tonight. He is probably next in line for the rotation and a 40 man spot if the need arises soon.

Topa allowed three runs in one inning tonight. Meanwhile, Jackson and Thielbar were effective tonight, Funderburk threw two innings and allowed a two-run homer. The are choices to be made. Personally, I think any pitcher on the 40-man is a major league quality arm. Until today, I thought Topa for Funderburk was a good call. 

2 minutes ago, stringer bell said: Topa allowed three runs in one inning tonight. Meanwhile, Jackson and Thielbar were effective tonight, Funderburk threw two innings and allowed a two-run homer. The are choices to be made. Personally, I think any pitcher on the 40-man is a major league quality arm. Until today, I thought Topa for Funderburk was a good call. 

After his first outing his velocity was down and I expected he would need the full rehab. Did you watch tonight? How was his velocity?

CCHOF5yearstoolate 439

9 hours ago, LonelyseatinMOA said: Bowman will be missed, it isn't surprising that some advanced stats didn't like him as they tend not to like groundball pitchers like Bowman. However, I'll be more upset when they send Funderburk back down for Topa as they really don't need three lefties. What concerns me is that the other two, Okert and Theilbar, haven't exactly been inspiring. But then again I don't need to nitpick what has been the best bullpen in baseball so far.

Advanced stats love groundballs because OPS is like .400 on grounders

h2oface 7,844

And Funderburk immediately acknowledges the confidence in him with a 2 run dinger. Yikes. 

I just think he is too wild and out of control to be "part of the future". My bet is with Topa in, he is optioned, especially after tonight. And Topa is no sure thing once he is here, that is for sure. I'm smelling a Jorge Lopez odor.

As for Bowman, I think it is too early in the season to cast off pitchers that have performed well so far for ones that still have options, at least for a month.

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Mets cut reliever Michael Tonkin for 2nd time in 18 days, with a Twins stop in between

New York Mets relief pitcher Michael Tonkin (51) sits in the dugout during the 11th inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader, against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets relief pitcher Michael Tonkin (51) reacts after Detroit Tigers’ Gio Urshela reached first base for a single during the tenth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 1, 2024, in New York. The Tigers won 5-0. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Minnesota Twins pitcher Michael Tonkin throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Michael Tonkin is on the move yet again.

The right-handed reliever was designated for assignment by the New York Mets for the second time in 18 days Monday — with one appearance for Minnesota in between.

Tonkin was cut one day after throwing 38 pitches over two scoreless innings during a 10-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The day before that, he worked one inning for his first win of the season.

Tonkin began the season with the Mets, then was designated for assignment on April 5. He was traded to the Twins four days later for cash and made one appearance with Minnesota on April 12 at Detroit.

New York quickly reacquired him, claiming Tonkin off waivers from the Twins last Wednesday. He pitched in back-to-back games for the Mets over the weekend and was let go again. They have seven days to trade or release him, or send him outright to the minors.

New York rookie manager Carlos Mendoza had to have the tough conversation with Tonkin — for a second time.

“It’s not easy and it’s not a fun part of this job obviously, and you have to do it twice,” Mendoza said ahead of his team’s series opener at San Francisco. “And a guy that has done a lot. He has an outing like yesterday when he saved our bullpen. Now, we needed an arm. These guys, they’ve got families, and it’s hard. It really is. It’s a business. He understood, obviously disappointed.”

The 34-year-old Tonkin is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts over six outings totaling nine innings for the Mets and Twins in 2024.

Josh Walker was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to give the club another lefty in the bullpen, while right-hander Sean Reid-Foley returned from a stint on the 15-day injured list with an impingement in his pitching shoulder. He made three scoreless rehab appearances.

In addition, New York optioned right-hander Grant Hartwig to Triple-A Syracuse after Sunday’s game at Dodger Stadium.

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Minnesota Twins designate Jordan Balazovic for assignment

The Minnesota Twins designated top prospect Jordan Balazovic for assignment to make room for recent additions to the team, concluding his once-promising tenure with the organization.

The decision reflects a significant shift in the team's strategic roster planning, marking a pivotal moment for Balazovic's career trajectory and signaling the team's dedication to new talent acquisitions.

• Balazovic posted a 2.69 ERA and struck out 129 batters in 93 2/3 innings at Single-A five years ago.
• Twins designated three players for assignment: Balazovic, Bubba Thompson, and Daniel Duarte.
• Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey left the possibility open for Balazovic to come back if he clears waivers.
• However, the Twins are not obligated to add any player that cleared waivers back to their system.

Balazovic's future with the Twins remains uncertain, as he is now hoping to find a new team to rebuild his career with.

The Twins' decision to designate Balazovic for assignment marks a significant turning point in the team's roster management and shapes the trajectory of Balazovic's future endeavors in professional baseball.

Read more at Puckett's Pond

The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI

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Derek Falvey explains why Twins designated Jordan Balazovic for assignment

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Roster Moves: Alex Kirilloff to IL, Jharel Cotton Designated for Assignment

The Twins’ young star heads to the IL for wrist issues again, swap bullpen pieces.

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Share All sharing options for: Roster Moves: Alex Kirilloff to IL, Jharel Cotton Designated for Assignment

This morning, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reported a series of roster moves.

#MNTwins placed Alex Kirilloff on the injured list with soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist. No official corresponding move yet, but recalling Trevor Larnach would make sense. Twins also designated for assignment RHP Jharel Cotton and called up RHP Dereck Rodríguez. — Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) April 13, 2022

The Twins have to be disappointed with Kirilloff’s health. After missing the majority of last season with a wrist issue, his surgically repaired wrist flared up again yesterday. He will head to the IL for what is hopefully a minimal stay. Kirilloff was off to a slow start this year, but he will need to be a major part of the offense if the Twins hope to contend in 2022.

Trevor Larnach will likely be called up to replace Kirilloff on the roster and in the everyday lineup. Larnach hit .223/.322/.350 for the Twins in 2021. After a hot start, he sputtered later in the year as he struggled to adjust to big league pitching. His St. Paul numbers aren’t any more encouraging, but Larnach has shown enough flashes that he still figures to be a major part of the Twins plans going forward.

Additionally, the Twins selected the contract of RHP Dereck Rodríguez and designated for assignment Jharel Cotton to clear space on the 40-man roster. Cotton appeared in two games for the Twins this year, never allowing a run. However, Cotton walked 4 batters in his 2 innings pitched. The Twins will hope they can sneak him through waivers and stash him at Triple A.

Dereck Rodríguez, perhaps most famous for being the son of Hall-of-Famer Pudge Rodríguez, has already joined the Twins and will be in uniform for today’s matchup with the Dodgers . After coming up through the Twins system, Rodríguez signed with the San Francisco Giants as a minor league free agent in 2017. Son-of-Pudge proceeded to have a solid three year stretch with San Francisco from 2018-2020, where he threw 221.1 innings with a 4.27 ERA and a slightly less encouraging 4.74 FIP. Those numbers are largely buoyed by a strong season in 2018. Rodríguez’s Triple A numbers in 2021 were discouraging, to say the least, pitching to the tune of a 6.72 ERA over 85.2 innings.

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Twins designate struggling starter Phil Hughes for assignment

• Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins designated pitcher Phil Hughes for assignment on Monday night, an expensive decision to dump the right-hander after continued struggles recovering from rib surgeries.

Hughes, who is making $13.2 million this season and due the same salary in 2019, has a 6.75 ERA in 12 innings. He was dropped from the rotation after two starts and made five relief appearances. Twins manager Paul Molitor said Hughes was not asked to accept a minor league demotion.

"He's worked really hard. He's been through a lot physically. He's had to endure a lot of rehabs. We probably saw him at his best his first year over here. It's been a tough road for him since then,'' Molitor said. "I thanked him for the effort that he's given me and the times he's taken the ball, and I hope something happens in a positive fashion for him moving forward.''

In a corresponding move, the Twins announced Tuesday that they'd recalled outfielder Ryan LaMarre from Triple-A Rochester.

Since the move to the bullpen, Molitor has not found many comfortable opportunities to use the 31-year-old. Eight of Minnesota's past 10 games have been decided by one or two runs.

"I guess it was somewhat comparable to almost a Rule 5 situation where you're trying to find the right spots, and they were few and far between,'' Molitor said.

After becoming a free agent and leaving the New York Yankees , who drafted him in the first round in 2004, Hughes signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Twins.

Hughes went 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA in 32 starts with 186 strikeouts in 209⅔ innings in 2014. That got him a new deal that winter that added three years and $42 million in additional guaranteed money, nearly half of which the Twins are still on the hook for. Hughes regressed some in 2015, dealing with some back trouble. Then in June 2016 he broke his left leg after being hit by a batted ball.

While on the disabled list, he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and had his first surgery to remove a rib to address shoulder weakness he was experiencing. The comeback in 2017 didn't go well, and he returned to the disabled list in May with shoulder discomfort. After five relief appearances upon his return, he was shelved again in mid-July and sent for a second thoracic outlet syndrome procedure. He complained of arm fatigue and numbness in his hand after he pitched.

Since 2016, Hughes is 5-10 with a 5.99 ERA with 162 hits allowed in 124⅔ innings. If he's not claimed off waivers by another club, which would be highly unlikely given his remaining salary, the Twins have a week to trade him or release him.

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San Francisco Giants News

Giants designate right-hander for assignment

The Giants announced Monday that they’ve designated right-hander Daulton Jefferies for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to right-handed pitching prospect Mason Black , whose previously reported promotion from Triple-A Sacramento is now official.

Jefferies, 28, went through two years of painstaking rehab to get back to the big leagues after undergoing both Tommy John surgery and thoracic outlet surgery. The former No. 37 overall draft pick’s Giants debut at the end of March was his first MLB appearance since May 2022 with the A’s.

Jefferies shined in Spring Training this year (2.57 ERA, 16-to-3 K/BB ratio in 14 innings) and has pitched quite well in four Triple-A appearances this season. In 18 1/3 frames with Sacramento, he’s notched a tidy 3.44 ERA while fanning 22.7% of his opponents against a sharp 6.7% walk rate.

However, in a pair of big league appearances, he’s lasted just 4 2/3 innings overall and been tagged for 13 runs (nine earned) on the strength of 14 hits (two homers) and a pair of walks. Jefferies has only fanned four of the 31 men he’s faced. He’s seen more than half the balls in play against him land for hits, which certainly hasn’t helped his cause, but he’s also paid the price for plenty of mistakes over the plate; in addition to the pair of homers, he’s surrendered six doubles and a triple.

Jefferies has had a fair bit of minor league success, but he’s yet to carry it over to the big leagues in a quartet of seasons where he’s seen mostly fleeting action. In 61 MLB frames, he carries an unsightly 6.64 earned run average, although his overall mark in six minor league seasons is nearly half that number, sitting at 3.88. 

Injuries have played no small part in his struggles; the previously mentioned Tommy John surgery in 2022 was actually the second of his career, and he battled nerve issues in his elbow for nearly a year before finally being diagnosed with thoracic outlet symptom and undergoing that surgery.

The Giants will have a week to trade Jefferies, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. He’s in his final minor league option season, so any team that acquires him would be able to send him to Triple-A without needing to expose him to waivers. 

Jefferies has been outrighted once in the past, so even if he goes unclaimed on waivers, that prior outright assignment grants him the right to reject another outright assignment in favor of free agency.

This article first appeared on MLB Trade Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

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Twins Designate Pitcher Phil Hughes For Assignment

May 22, 2018 / 2:08 PM CDT / CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins designated pitcher Phil Hughes for assignment on Monday night, an expensive decision to dump the right-hander after continued struggles recovering from rib surgeries.

Hughes, who is making $13.2 million this season and due the same salary in 2019, has a 6.75 ERA in 12 innings. He was dropped from the rotation after two starts and made five relief appearances. Twins manager Paul Molitor said Hughes was not asked to accept a minor league demotion.

"He's worked really hard. He's been through a lot physically. He's had to endure a lot of rehabs. We probably saw him at his best his first year over here. It's been a tough road for him since then," Molitor said. "I thanked him for the effort that he's given me and the times he's taken the ball, and I hope something happens in a positive fashion for him moving forward."

Since the move to the bullpen, Molitor has not found many comfortable opportunities to use the 31-year-old. Eight of Minnesota's last 10 games have been decided by one or two runs.

"I guess it was somewhat comparable to almost a Rule 5 situation where you're trying to find the right spots, and they were few and far between," Molitor said.

After becoming a free agent and leaving the New York Yankees, who drafted him in the first round in 2004, Hughes signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Twins. Hughes went 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA in 32 starts with 186 strikeouts in 209 2/3 innings in 2014. That got him a new deal that winter that added three years and $42 million in additional guaranteed money, nearly half of which the Twins are still on the hook for.

Hughes regressed some in 2015, dealing with some back trouble. Then in June 2016 he broke his left leg after being hit by a batted ball. While on the disabled list, he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and had his first surgery to remove a rib to address shoulder weakness he was experiencing.

The comeback in 2017 didn't go well, and he returned to the disabled list in May with shoulder discomfort. After five relief appearances upon his return, he was shelved again in mid-July and sent for a second thoracic outlet syndrome procedure. He complained of arm fatigue and numbness in his hand after he pitched.

Since 2016, Hughes is 5-10 with a 5.99 ERA with 162 hits allowed in 124 2/3 innings. If he's not claimed off waivers by another club, which would be highly unlikely given his remaining salary, the Twins have a week to trade him or release him.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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