MLB.com's Matthew Leach reported late last month the Twins are seeking another righty reliever for their bullpen. They recently signed righty Matt Bowman, 34, to a minor league deal. However, while Bowman seems poised for a bounce-back season, he likely isn't the new righty the Twins are planning to slot into their bullpen to begin the 2026 campaign. Minnesota should add a more established big leaguer and stash Bowman in Triple-A for now.
Twins should sign former Los Angeles Dodgers World Series hero Michael Kopech to complete bullpen rebuild
Kopech is arguably the best reliever remaining on the free agent market. The righty appeared in just 14 games last year with the Dodgers due to a torn meniscus and right knee inflammation. He posted a 2.45 ERA with 12 strikeouts and 13 walks in 11 innings with Los Angeles last season and missed the postseason.
Injuries have plagued Kopech's career since he made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2018. He missed the entire 2019 season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery and opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, he has proven he can be dominant when healthy.
Originally a starter, Kopech eventually converted to a full-time reliever with Chicago in 2024. After he posted a 4.74 ERA in 43 2/3 innings with the White Sox that season, Kopech was dealt to the Dodgers on July 29, 2024, as part of a blockbuster three-way trade that sent Tommy Pham and Erick Fedde to the St. Louis Cardinals, Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez to the White Sox, and Tommy Edman and Oliver Gonzalez to the Dodgers.
Upon being traded to the Dodgers, Kopech became one of the best bullpen arms in baseball. He allowed just three earned runs on nine hits and 10 walks with 29 strikeouts across 24 regular-season innings for Los Angeles in 2024, then played a vital role in the Dodgers' first World Series victory since 2020 by posting a 3.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts in nine innings during the 2024 playoffs.
Last season, Kopech threw his high-90s four-seamer 82.7% of the time and his low-90s cutter 16.5%. He also occasionally mixes in a low-90s changeup.
Kopech is likely seeking a one-year deal at this point so he can have a strong, healthy season and sign a larger multi-year contract next offseason, which is good for Minnesota. The Twins may have to offer him a bit more money than other teams to play in Minnesota, but it should be worth it. Injury risk is a concern with Kopech, but for one season, the Twins shouldn't be scared to offer him a contract. And if the Twins sign him and aren't where they want to be once the trade deadline nears, they can trade him and further bolster their farm system.