It has been a difficult 12 months or so for the Minnesota Twins and their fans. After their surprise playoff run in 2023, the team basically did nothing to bolster their roster after that, and a late 2024 season collapse for the ages cost the Twins a playoff spot altogether. There is hope on the horizon things will change for the better once the Twins are sold, but that is little consolation in the short-term after another quiet offseason.
Still, there is reason for optimism when it comes to the Twins. Brooks Lee is one of the best young talents in baseball, and the core group of Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, and Willi Castro on offense, as well as Pablo López and Joe Ryan on the pitching staff, should keep the team pretty competitive assuming everyone stays healthy.
One way that the Twins can give their 2025 chances a boost is by finding areas of the roster that are relatively inexpensive to upgrade. The bullpen is easily the best option here for the budget-conscious Twins, and they did just that after signing reliever Danny Coulombe.
Danny Coulombe to the Twins, pending physical. Very solid back end bullpen now for Minnesota with Duran, Jax, Sands, etc.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 4, 2025
Twins to sign reliever Danny Coulombe as a chance at redemption
Minnesota fans will remember that this will be Coulombe's second stint with the team, as he played for the Twins from 2020-2022. His first stint was pretty unremarkable, as he was designated for assignment in 2020, got non-tendered in 2021, and then ended up needing hip surgery in 2022 after a promising start to the season. Coulombe ended up getting traded to the Orioles for cash considerations right before the 2023 season.
Since leaving the Twins, Coulombe put together a nice little run with Baltimore, as he posted a 2.56 ERA in 94 appearances. Unfortunately, his 2024 season was cut short after needing surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow, and the Orioles ultimately decided to decline his option for 2025. As for the terms of Coulombe's deal, they are extremely reasonable and also seem to be pricing in uncertainty given his history of injuries.
Danny Coulombe has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Twins, per source. Deal includes performance bonuses. @JonHeyman and @nightengalejr were on it.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 4, 2025
Assuming he is healthy and can make his recent adjustments stick, he would add a very solid bullpen arm that misses bats and pounds the strike zone with a diverse array of pitches. If that happens, the bullpen will be a strength of the Twins' roster this coming season which, given all of the headwinds the franchise is currently dealing with, may just have to be good enough.