Minnesota Twins: 2022 Roster Shakeup continues with Tyler Duffey DFA

The Minnesota Twins are trying desperately to make their way back to the playoffs in 2022, working to win their third division title in four years. The team currently holds a two-game leave over both the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians, and have made a variety of moves to improve their roster and stay on top. That trend continued Friday:

Duffey is the second member of the 2019 100-Win Twins team to be designated for assignment or released (Lewis Thorpe), this year, making the Twins roster even further unrecognizable from the group that ran the American League Central table just three years ago.

Tyler Duffey was struggling this season, posting a 4.91 ERA (5.48 xERA/4.80 FIP/3.58 xFIP), 1.364 WHIP, and 39-15 K-BB ratio. The Twins were hoping for a bounceback season after a tough 2021, but it didn’t come. Last night’s brutal performance was the last straw. He’s likely to either be claimed or pursue his release and join another team.

With Duffey off the roster, Jorge Polanco, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Luis Arraez, Jake Cave, Devin Smeltzer, and Jorge Alcala are the only active Twins remaining on the 40-Man roster, while Randy Dobnak, Cody Stashak, and Miguel Sano are all on the 60-Day IL.

With Sano almost certainly headed out this offseason and Jake Cave and Devin Smeltzer likely joining him, the Minnesota Twins will have just seven players remaining from that 2019 team. That’s a wildly high amount of turnover in three years.

Duffey was a key member of the clubhouse, well-liked by teammates, media, and fans, making his departure a bit of a bittersweet moment, given that the Twins will likely improve with him off the roster. I still hope for nothing but the best for the Twins’ former bullpen ace.