The Minnesota Twins finalized the signings of catcher Victor Caratini and lefty reliever Taylor Rogers on Friday. Since the Twins' 40-man roster was full, they had to make two corresponding moves.
One of those moves wasn't a shock at all. Minnesota designated catcher Jhonny Pereda for assignment, which made sense since the Twins already had catchers Ryan Jeffers and Alex Jackson before signing Caratini, and Pereda is a 29-year-old journeyman who doesn't have much big-league potential.
However, the other corresponding move the Twins made was a bit surprising.
Twins' corresponding moves to Victor Caratini, Taylor Rogers signings include one big surprise
The Twins designated righty reliever Pierson Ohl for assignment on Friday.
Overall, Ohl, 26, had a rough rookie season in 2025, posting a 5.10 ERA across 30 innings with the Twins. However, the righty finished the season strong by throwing eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts across six outings. Even though his overall results were poor, he had an elite 31.1% chase rate and 5.3% walk rate in the big leagues last season.
It's hard to imagine that Ohl will clear waivers, as many teams need bullpen help and Ohl is only 26.
It's safe to assume that the Twins' Opening Day bullpen will include lefties Rogers and Kody Funderburk and righties Cole Sands, Justin Topa and Eric Orze, whom the Twins acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays earlier in the offseason. That still leaves about three open bullpen spots, which is why it's surprising the Twins decided to designate Ohl for assignment.
The Twins have an abundance of MLB-ready starting pitchers, so a couple of them will likely go to the bullpen. Still, it's surprising the Twins got rid of Ohl, especially since righty Travis Adams is still on the 40-man roster.
However, Ohl being designated for assignment indicates that the team plans to add another reliever via free agency or the trade market. MLB.com's Matthew Leach confirmed Minnesota is seeking to add another righty reliever. Assuming the Twins do add another reliever, Adams will likely be designated for assignment.
Pierson Ohl being DFA'd proves Twins adamant about adding another bullpen arm
It's definitely far-fetched to say the Twins' bullpen could be as good as it was pre-trade deadline last season, when it was headlined by righties Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland and Brock Stewart and lefty Danny Coulombe. Still, the bullpen can be good in 2026, especially if the Twins add another established righty reliever.
Righty relievers the Twins could target include Liam Hendriks, Michael Kopech, José Leclerc and Paul Sewald.