The Minnesota Twins have had plenty of things go wrong during the 2026 season but one of the biggest storylines has been their struggles in the bullpen. After blowing up their bullpen at last year’s trade deadline and failing to acquire adequate replacements last offseason, the Twins have raised the blood pressure of their fan base anytime a reliever has come into the game.
With the bullpen struggles continuing to mount, the Twins could use some reinforcements. But they made a puzzling move when they allowed minor league reliever Matt Bowman to trigger his opt-out clause on Sunday morning according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Bowman was on the clock last week as the Twins had a May 13 date to promote him to the active roster. While the Twins didn’t call him up, Bowman’s performance may have warranted that decision as he went 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 25 strikeouts and six walks in 21.1 innings at Triple-A St. Paul.
This is the second time Bowman has opted out of a minor league deal with the Twins this season, as he did so after Spring Training. But the current state of the bullpen may have warranted giving Bowman an audition as he looks for another team that will give him a chance.
Twins’ decision to let Matt Bowman walk-out latest in puzzling bullpen moves
Entering Monday, the Twins had the third worst bullpen ERA in the majors at 5.16. They also have the third-worst WHIP (1.57) and the highest batting average allowed (.272) in MLB as they begin a three-game series with the Houston Astros at Target Field, emphasizing the need for a reliable arm.
While there have been some effective relievers including left-handers Kody Funderburk, Taylor Rogers and Andrew Morris, finding a right-handed arm has been a problem. Eric Orze has been solid with a 3.86 ERA in 21.0 innings this season but the rest of the options have been brutal including Justin Topa’s 6.87 ERA in 22 appearances and Luis Garcia posting a 10.38 ERA in nine appearances.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that Bowman would have been much better. In seven major league seasons, Bowman has posted an 8-14 record with a 4.38 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 240.2 innings. He also is coming off a rough 2024 season where he posted a 6.20 ERA with 18 strikeouts and six walks in 24.2 innings for the Baltimore Orioles.
In the end, Bowman could have been done in by the current roster crunch on the 40-man roster. While several arms are struggling, the Twins didn’t want to risk losing a player to waivers and it’s the same reason why Orlando Arcia hasn’t replaced Royce Lewis during his downward spiral at third base.
It also is a continuation of odd moves the Twins have made in the bullpen over the past calendar year. Jhoan Duran, Louis Varland and Griffin Jax were all moved at last year’s trade deadline and while they got some interesting returns in Taj Bradley and Mick Abel, it hasn’t helped the current group hold leads for a starting rotation that ranks eighth in ERA (3.79).
It makes taking the risk to lose a current reliever to waivers potentially worth giving Bowman a shot. Instead, the Twins will keep sending the same relievers out there in a formula that hasn’t worked this season.
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