The Minnesota Twins addressed their need for starting pitching depth by acquiring right-hander Dean Kremer from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Shortly after, Joe Ryan landed on the IL with a glute injury. Kendry Rojas is starting for Triple-A St. Paul, but other than him, there weren't many other pitchers in the minors who could step in to make a start for Minnesota until recently, as the Twins reportedly signed right-hander Germán Márquez to a minor-league deal, according to his transactions log on MLB.com. He will report to Triple-A St. Paul.
New St. Paul Saints pitcher German Marquez has an out clause of August 25th and another in September, if not called up by the #MNTwins. Padres let go the 2021 N.L. All-Star last week. Twins had some interest in him going back to last offseason. pic.twitter.com/RHGyT5t9kT
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) August 13, 2026
Márquez signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the San Diego Padres this past offseason. It's been a rough year for Márquez, as the veteran posted a 5.26 ERA over 53 innings for San Diego, prompting the Padres' decision to designate him for assignment. He cleared waivers before being released, allowing him to sign with Minnesota.
Germán Márquez gives Twins much-needed starting pitching depth
Obviously, signing a player who was just released to a minor-league deal isn't a super exciting move. But it gives the Twins the pitching depth they need, and there are reasons to believe that Márquez could turn his season around if he gets an opportunity to pitch for the Twins.
Márquez had a decent start to the year, posting a 3.32 ERA in 21 2/3 innings across four starts in April. After a rough outing on May 1, in which he allowed seven runs over five innings, Márquez landed on the IL with a forearm issue. He returned on July 2 and recorded a 3.22 ERA in 22 1/3 innings in July.
Unfortunately, Márquez's last outing didn't go well. He surrendered four runs in one inning of work out of the bullpen for the Padres on Aug. 4. In his defense, Márquez has typically been a starter, not a reliever, throughout his MLB career.
On the flip side, Márquez's Baseball Savant page reveals plenty of concerns. He gives up plenty of hard contact and walks and has low ground-ball and strikeout rates.
Regardless, signing Márquez is a solid depth move for the Twins. If the team suffers another injury or simply needs to give the rotation some rest, they can count on having an experienced veteran in the minors who can be called upon to make a start. Márquez has plenty of big-league experience, having played 10 seasons with Colorado before signing with San Diego in the winter.
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