As the 2021 MLB regular season winds down to a close, a lot of us will be pausing to remember everything that happened over the course of a season. As we know, the Minnesota Twins have had a disappointing year, so there’s a lot we’d like to forget.
Still, six months, plus spring training, is a long time, and over the course of every season teams see players come and go. Some, like Nelson Cruz, starred for the team before being traded away, while others didn’t quite accomplish as much, and unless you’re a major diehard, you may have forgotten about them.
Here, we look at five players who suited up for the Twins in 2021 that a lot of fans have likely forgotten about.
Minnesota Twins: 5 players you may have forgotten about
Matt Shoemaker
Matt Shoemaker has had some success as a major league pitcher. He had a few decent years with the Los Angeles Angels before spending 2019 and 2020 with the Toronto Blue Jays. In February, the Twins signed him as a free agent, and it didn’t go particularly well: In 16 games, including 11 starts, he posted an 8.06 ERA. The Twins would release him on August 2. Given how badly the team needs starting pitching right now, it’s too bad he didn’t work out.
JT Riddle
A few years ago, JT Riddle got quite a bit of playing time with the Miami Marlins, and it looked like he may have some value, perhaps as a backup player. He batted just .149 with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, and the Twins picked him up for 2021. He only got into four games in April, batting 2-for-6.
Derek Law
Derek Law had a tremendous 2016 season in relief with the San Francisco Giants, though he hasn’t been able to replicate that success since then. With the Twins this year, he got into nine games, covering 15 innings, and posted a 4.20 ERA in two stints in May and July.
Kyle Garlick
Kyle Garlick is on his third team in three years, and he actually had some success for the Twins at the plate, posting an OPS+ of 103, including five home runs in 36 games. However, he’s currently on the 60-day injured list.
Beau Burrows
Here’s one Twins fans would like to forget. Beau Burrows came to the Twins after the Detroit Tigers placed him on waivers back in June. The former first round draft pick didn’t have much success in Minnesota, giving up 13 earned runs in 9.1 innings pitched.