The Minnesota Twins are reportedly one of five teams interested in free-agent pitcher Kyle Hart this offseason. According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Katie Woo, the Twins are among a group of teams including the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees that are interested in the left-hander’s services.
Hart was a 19th-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in the 2016 MLB Draft and made his major league debut during the 2020 season. But his cup of coffee in the majors didn’t go well, allowing a 17.18 ERA with 13 strikeouts and 10 walks in 11 innings.
Hart spent the next two seasons in the Red Sox organization but never returned to the major leagues. He signed with the NC Dinos of the KBO last winter and the decision to go overseas was a game-changer for the 32-year-old, posting a 13-3 record with a 2.69 ERA with 182 strikeouts and just 38 walks in 157 innings.
The performance helped Hart win the Dong-won Choi Award which is awarded to the best pitcher in the KBO. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen suggested that the improvement came when Hart used his slider as a second pitch as opposed to his primary pitch. While Hart’s arsenal is underwhelming with a low 90s fastball and a changeup, FanGraphs still has Hart projected 48th on their list of top 50 free agents.
Minnesota Twins among several teams interested in Kyle Hart
While The Athletic’s report narrows Hart’s market to five teams, FanSided’s Robert Murray reported that as many as 18 teams have shown interest dating back to the beginning of the offseason.
For the Twins, their pursuit makes sense due to their lack of left-handed options on the pitching staff. Kody Funderburk and Brent Headrick are the lone southpaws on the Twins’ 40-man roster and Hart could serve as a left-handed reliever after Caleb Thielbar signed with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
The Twins could also use Hart as pitching depth as they look for options behind Pablo López, Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan. Chris Paddack is currently on the roster but is a suggested salary dump candidate as he’s set to make $7.5 million next season. The Twins also have Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, Zebby Matthews and Louie Varland as options but each lack experience.
Whatever the plan, Hart would be a creative way to add another arm to the staff as the Twins navigate payroll restrictions heading into the 2025 season.