Minnesota Twins: Ranking the Top 35 Free Agent Relievers Available

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.