Arizona Diamondbacks sign former Minnesota Twins righty Thomas Hatch to minor league deal
The Diamondbacks have signed former Twins righty Thomas Hatch to a minor league deal with a non-roster invitation to major league camp, according to MLB Trade Rumors' Anthony Franco.
The Twins claimed Hatch, 31, off waivers from the Kansas City Royals in early August after trading five relievers (Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart and Danny Coulombe) at the trade deadline.
Hatch struggled during his tenure with Minnesota, posting a 5.45 ERA with 21 strikeouts and six walks over 33 innings. However, the Twins knew they wouldn't make the postseason when they acquired Hatch, so the fact that he was able to pitch 33 innings as a long reliever was valuable for Minnesota, despite his poor results. Hatch elected free agency after the 2025 season, allowing the Diamondbacks to sign him.
The Chicago Cubs selected Hatch in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State University. The Cubs then traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2019 trade deadline for righty reliever David Phelps.
Hatch impressed early in his MLB career, managing a 2.73 ERA in 26 1/3 innings during his rookie season (2020). He had just three appearances for Toronto during the 2021 season due to right elbow impingement. After one appearance in 2022 and 18 in 2023 with the Blue Jays, Toronto designated him for assignment on August 4, 2023, and the Pirates claimed him.
Hatch sported a 4.03 ERA in 22 1/3 innings with Pittsburgh in 2023 before spending the 2024 season in Japan. He signed a minor league deal with the Royals on February 7, 2025. He made just one appearance for the Royals before joining the Twins.
The Twins got what they wanted out of Hatch: a pitcher who could eat innings for a team that had no plans to make the postseason. The Diamondbacks hope they can unlock the version of Hatch who pitched to a 2.73 ERA during his rookie season, which Minnesota was unable to do. At the end of the day, Hatch's poor performance with Minnesota likely helped the Twins receive a better pick (third overall) in the 2026 MLB Draft.