It's been a rollercoaster season for right-handed reliever Justin Topa. He entered the 2026 campaign as one of the Twins' most counted-on relievers. Unfortunately, he ended up being one of the worst bullpen arms in baseball for a stretch, posting an 8.05 ERA over 19 innings before being designated for assignment. He cleared waivers before being released in late May.
The Toronto Blue Jays quickly signed Topa to a minor-league deal. He never pitched in the big leagues with Toronto. The club released him in early July, allowing the right-hander to sign a minor-league deal with the Kansas City Royals. He suffered the same fate with Kansas City, pitching in the minors for the organization before being released roughly a month later. On Friday, Topa signed with his fourth team of the season, agreeing to a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees.
New York assigned Topa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. Topa took the Triple-A roster spot of right-hander Angel Chivilli, who recently landed on the injured list with an elbow injury, per The New York Daily News' Gary Phillips. If a Yankees reliever suffers an injury, Topa could be the next man up for New York.
The Twins acquired Topa, 35, from the Seattle Mariners as part of the Jorge Polanco deal in the 2023-24 offseason. The Twins also received right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, right-hander Darren Bowen and outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez in the trade.
Revisiting the Twins-Mariners Jorge Polanco/Justin Topa trade
The Twins haven't received the production they wanted from the return pieces of the Polanco deal. DeSclafani never pitched for the Twins due to an elbow injury and is now out of Major League Baseball. Bowen is 25 and still in Double-A. Topa had a decent 2025 season (3.90 ERA, 60 IP) but made just three appearances in 2024 and was cut from the team this year.
However, the Twins still didn't lose the trade, at least not yet. Polanco posted just 1.3 bWAR and a 92 OPS+ with Seattle in 2024 before hitting free agency. Meanwhile, Gonzalez is the Twins' No. 11 overall prospect. The outfielder has struggled in the minors this year, posting a .724 OPS at Triple-A St. Paul, but he had an outstanding .908 OPS in the minors last season.
With top outfield prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez knocking at the door of their MLB debuts, there's likely no room for Gonzalez in the Twins' outfield. However, he has played some first base this year, so that could be his long-term position. He played in one game for the Twins at Fenway Park this year, collecting one hit and two walks in four plate appearances.
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