Minnesota Twins: Ranking the Top 35 Free Agent Relievers Available

Minnesota Twins Top Free Agent Relief Pitchers: No. 35-No. 22

• No. 35: Steve Cishek
• No. 34: Jimmy Nelson
• No. 33: Wily Peralta
• No. 32: Luke Weaver
• No. 31: Archie Bradley
• No. 30: Justin Wilson
• No. 29: Zack Britton
• No. 28: Matt Wisler
• No. 27: David Price
• No. 26: Mychal Givens
• No. 25: Scott Alexander
• No. 24: Tommy Kahnle
• No. 23: Trevor May
• No. 22: Pierce Johnson

The first seven names on this list all fall into the same category: non-roster signings with invites to big league Spring Training. Each of these players has been good in the past, but either was hurt, had a bad year in 2022 or just simply looked average. There’s no guarantee that they’d be a major upgrade over the players the team has now, but they’re worth a look.

Former Twin Matt Wisler was solid statistically again last year, but remains a low-leverage candidate as his analytic numbers simply aren’t good. David Price and Mychal Givens are both solid veterans with lots of experience, but neither is a difference maker. With that being said, both would be useful options in low-leverage situations and would represent an upgrade.

Scott Alexander, Tommy Kahnle, and Pierce Johnson all represent players who could be excellent set-up men, but all three went through a very injury-filled season. They each would be great options, but only if they were signed at a decent price (Johnson especially).

The last player on this list is another former Minnesota Twins player, one who it would be fun to see back here: Trevor May. Though he struggled with injuries in 2022, his velocity is still there and would be worth a gamble.

Minnesota Twins Top Free Agent Relief Pitchers: No. 21-No. 7

• No. 21: Luke Jackson
• No. 20: Ken Giles
• No. 19: David Robertson
• No. 18: Matt Strahm
• No. 17: Michael Fulmer
• No. 16: David Phelps
• No. 15: Brad Boxberger
• No. 14: Brad Hand
• No. 13: Will Smith
• No. 12: Seth Lugo
• No. 11: Matt Moore
• No. 10: Corey Knebel
• No. 9: Adam Ottavino
• No. 8: Chad Green
• No. 7: Chris Martin

Luke Jackson and Ken Giles are two of my favorite names that I would love to see the Twins go after. After both spent much (or all) of 2022 hurt, both could be in for bounce-back years as excellent set-up men. We’ve seen both be truly elite before, and it’s possible they can return to that mark.

David Robertson, David Phelps, and Brad Boxberger are three vets who shouldn’t be trusted as eighth or ninth inning shutdown men, but all three continue to produce well and had very solid numbers last season. They’re good relievers who will give you great numbers in the sixth and seventh innings, something that the Minnesota Twins are looking for.

Brad Hand is basically a better version of those three. The Minnesota native had a stellar year last season, and while he’s no longer the All-Star closer he used to be, he would be fun and extremely reliable addition to the bullpen.

Matt Strahm and Twins trade deadline acquisition Michael Fulmer are in the same boat as well, with both pitchers producing well last year, but neither looking truly incredible. They are younger (and likely more expensive) versions of Robertson, Phelps, and Boxberger.

Will Smith is a two-time World Series champion who turned it on after his trade to Houston. He’s not the All-Star he used to be, but he looked pretty close to that level down the stretch. Seth Lugo and Matt Moore have turned themselves into very reliable relievers after struggling a bit as starters, but both could be extremely solid relievers in 2023.

Corey Knebel took a step back slightly last year, but he’s still a very good middle relief option and would be a big upgrade on this team, while Adam Ottavino and Chris Martin are aging arms who looked excellent last season. If either can put together repeat performances in a Minnesota Twins uniform, the team’s bullpen would be a strength.

The last name to cover on this list is Chad Green. Green, who battled injuries in 2022, has been one of the Yankees best relievers over the last five years, posting a 2.96 ERA (3.01 FIP), 11.8 K/9 rate, 2.2 BB/9 rate, and an impressive 0.970 WHIP. He’s likely to miss nearly all of 2023, but at 31, he’s worth signing to a three year deal to lock up for 2024 and 2025.

Minnesota Twins Top Free Agent Relief Pitchers: No. 6-No.1

• No. 6: Alex Reyes
• No. 5: Andrew Chafin
• No. 4: Taylor Rogers
• No. 3: Aroldis Chapman
• No. 2: Craig Kimbrel
• No. 1: Kenley Jansen

It’s a bit disappointing that there are six top relievers on the market for 2023, and one of them, Alex Reyes, might not be able to pitch this season. The injury-prone 2021 All-Star was non-tendered by the St. Louis Cardinals, but just like Chad Green, would be a solid pitcher to pick up on a two-year deal, as he has closer-level stuff when on the field.

Andrew Chafin has been one of baseball’s best set-up man over the past two seasons, thus drawing the designation of the best non-closer on our list. If the Twins offered a multi-year deal with some solid cash, he’d instantly solidify the bullpen.

A reunion with former Twin Taylor Rogers would also make a lot of sense. The team needs another left-handed reliever, and after a tough year, he could come with a discount. Pairing him with Lopez, Duran, and Alcala could allow him to settle in a bit more and return to the All-Star level he was at in 2021.

The next two are Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel, a pair of aging closers who struggled last year. Both have come back down to Earth over the last couple of years, but each are still good enough to handle closing duties with Duran handling the tougher batters.

The last pitcher on this list is the clear top reliever with Edwin Diaz re-signing in New York: Kenley Jansen. Just three saves behind Kimbrel on the all-time list at 391, Jansen needs just 35 saves to pass John Franco for fifth on the all-time saves list, a mark he’s crossed in both of the past two years.

Adding Jansen to the bullpen would make a weakness a legitimate strength and allow for Rocco to begin using his bullpen in the same way he tried to last year, but with a lot more success. If they were able to add another reliever on top of that, the team could become a real contender next season.