The Minnesota Twins sent plenty of players packing at last year’s trade deadline but one of the forgotten names was Randy Dobnak. Dobnak was traded along with Chris Paddack in a deal with the Detroit Tigers last July and he seemed to have faded into the distance after a disappointing time to his end in Minnesota. But just when it seemed like his trademark spectacles were a memory, he reappeared and could be on the move.
Dobnak signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners this offseason and according to WHDH’s Ari Alexander, is “a name to watch” as he approaches a June 15 upward mobility clause. If Dobnak exercises that clause, he could be on the move and it could give him an interesting second act that has him back in the major leagues by the end of the month.
Randy Dobnak could be approaching a final chance at the major leagues
The Tigers ended Dobnak’s brief stint with the team when they declined a $6 million option on his contract last November. The Mariners signed Dobnak to a minor league deal a few weeks later and he spent the entire 2026 season at Triple-A Tacoma.
Dobnak’s numbers haven’t been great, going 4-5 with a 4.50 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 23 walks in 64.0 innings. But Alexander pointed out that he leads all qualified MiLB pitchers with a 59.9% ground ball rate. With the Mariners having to use a six-man rotation due to the depth on the mound, those numbers aren’t likely to get him a promotion in Seattle, which could have him exercise his clause to get an opportunity.
According to Leo Morgenstern of MLB Trade Rumors, the upward mobility clause requires the Mariners to offer Dobnak to the other 29 major league clubs if activated. If a team wants to put him on their 40-man roster, the Mariners must trade him to the claiming team or put Dobnak on their own 40-man roster.
With modest stats to this point, it’s unlikely the Mariners would move mountains to keep Dobnak. But it could be an interesting moment for a former Twins pitcher looking to get back to the majors.
Dobnak made his major league debut with the Twins during the 2019 season, appearing in nine games and going 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA. While his performance helped him earn a start in Game 2 against the New York Yankees in the American League Divisional Series, it’s one of the most infamous performances in Twins history as he allowed four runs in two innings while Yankees fans mocked his offseason job as an Uber driver.
The need for a side hustle was eliminated when Dobnak signed a five-year, $9.25 million contract extension with three club options for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons. While the deal could have had the total value reach $29.75 million, Dobnak didn’t see any of that money as he battled injuries and went 7-11 with a 5.89 ERA in 29 games (16 seasons) after his rookie campaign.
Teams are always looking for starting pitching depth and Dobnak’s ground ball rate could entice someone to stash him on the back end of their 40-man roster. The Twins probably won’t be one of those teams even though Derek Falvey is no longer the president of baseball operations after throwing in the towel last July, but it could also represent a last chance for Dobnak, who is now 31, to find a better situation.
A former undrafted free agent who sprinted to the major leagues, Dobnak’s career has been a wild ride and there could be one more chapter to be written if he exercises his clause.
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