The Twins need bullpen help. As of now, righties Eric Orze, Justin Topa and Cole Sands and lefty Kody Funderburk are the only relievers we can assume will be on the Opening Day roster, barring injuries. There are internal options who will likely crack the 26-man roster as bullpen arms as well, but the Twins should still add some veteran arms.
2 former Twins pitchers who remain unsigned and could be brought back on a bargain
RHP Liam Hendriks
Hendriks made his MLB debut with Minnesota as a starting pitcher in 2011. After posting a 6.06 ERA in 156 innings with Minnesota from 2011-13, the Twins designated him for assignment in the 2013-14 offseason.
After a brief stint with the Kansas City Royals in 2014, the Toronto Blue Jays converted Hendriks to a full-time reliever. The Australian native had a 2.92 ERA in 58 games with Toronto in 2015, then was traded to the Oakland Athletics for right-handed pitcher Jesse Chavez in the 2015-16 offseason.
Hendriks spent five seasons with Oakland, posting a 3.08 ERA with 332 strikeouts and 71 walks across 263 innings out of the bullpen. He represented the Athletics in the 2019 All-Star Game.
After his stint with the Athletics, Hendriks, now 36, signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. He represented Chicago in the All-Star Game in 2021 and 2022, before being diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He fully recovered in mid-2023 and made five appearances for the White Sox that year.
The righty signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Boston Red Sox in February 2024. He missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. He made just 14 appearances with Boston in 2025 due to a hip injury and undergoing successful right elbow ulnar nerve transposition surgery. He had a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings in 2025.
Since Hendriks struggled in limited action last season and missed the entire 2024 campaign, the righty won't be expensive, which makes him a perfect fit for the Twins.
RHP Ryan Pressly
Pressly pitched for the Twins from 2013-18, posting a 3.75 ERA in 317 innings before being dealt to the Houston Astros at the 2018 trade deadline. He became a closer for Houston, collecting 111 saves with a 2.81 ERA in 333 innings from 2018-24. He won a World Series ring in 2022 and recorded 14 saves with a 2.78 ERA in 47 playoff appearances with the Astros.
Pressly, now 37, signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs last offseason. He struggled with Chicago, posting a 4.35 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 17 walks in 41 1/3 innings before being designated for assignment to clear space for another former Twin, lefty Taylor Rogers, who is currently a free agent.
According to The Athletic's Dan Hayes, the Twins expressed interest in Pressly in early August after the Cubs designated him for assignment. Hayes also reported that Pressly is considering retirement.
If Pressly wants to continue playing baseball, the Twins should consider signing him to a cheap MLB deal, or even a minor league deal if he'd be willing to do so.