There are very few times when a Twins fan will be happy for another team, but this one is an exception. Caleb Thielbar, a soon-to-be 39-year-old reliever, re-signed with the Chicago Cubs on a one-year contract on Tuesday.
Thielbar, born in Minnesota and attended high school just south of Minneapolis, was beloved by Twins fans. The left-hander pitched in eight MLB seasons with the Twins, and even fought through some tough times here.
Following a bounce-back season in 2025 that saw him record a 2.64 ERA, 0.879 WHIP, and elite xERA and hard-hit % metrics with the Cubs, Twins fans couldn't be more excited to see Thielbar still kicking it in Major League Baseball.
Caleb Thielbar, Devastating 75mph Curveball. 🌈 pic.twitter.com/R0j8oU7M9x
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 6, 2025
Former career Twin Caleb Thielbar signs one-year contract to reunite with Cubs
Thielbar, who has three plus breaking pitches in his arsenal, had some pretty impressive campaigns with Minnesota. He entered the big leagues at 26 years old and dominated in 49 rookie appearances, logging a 1.76 ERA and 0.826 WHIP. He handed in five seasons of an ERA of 3.50 or lower, all while just trying to remain in the bigs. From 2016-19, Thielbar didn't appear in an MLB game, but he never gave up.
He played in the shortened 2020 season and gave the Twins a 2.25 ERA in 20 outings. His last season with Minnesota, 2024, saw some bumps in the road as he finished with an ERA north of five. But the Cubs took a chance on him. Thielbar tossed 56 scoreless appearances in 67 tries in 2025, and also allowed one run in five more. It was an inspirational season for Thielbar, and now, he has another chance to pitch in the big leagues.
The Twins are still shopping for additions to the bullpen. There are some legitimate free agent options still out there, and while there is some worry that Minnesota is falling behind in this area, fans can take a step back and feel happy for Thielbar. He deserves the recognition.