Former Top Prospect Bubba Thompson Among Players Let Go By Minnesota Twins in Roster Shakeup
The Minnesota Twins announced a slew of roster moves Wednesday afternoon, introducing two signings and a waiver claim while cutting ties with three notable players.
First baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana and relief pitcher Jay Jackson were both officially added to the roster after reportedly signing with the Twins out of free agency this past week. Minnesota also picked up pitcher Zack Weiss from the Boston Red Sox, who designated the reliever for assignment on Jan. 31.
In order to make room for the trio, the Twins designated reliever Daniel Duarte, former homegrown top prospect Jordan Balazovic and former Texas Rangers top prospect Bubba Thompson for assignment.
Thompson stands out from the bunch in more ways than one, but especially because this marks his fifth time hitting waivers in the last six months alone.
After getting scooped up by the Rangers in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft, Thompson remained with the club until August 2023. Thompson has since spent time with the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Twins.
Thompson was batting .260 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 16 stolen bases and a .740 OPS through 32 games with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock last season. Upon joining the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, Thompson hit .259 with four home runs, 17 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a .723 OPS in 33 games.
Thompson appeared in 37 games with the Rangers at the major league level in 2023, batting .170 with a .520 OPS. In 2022, Thompson hit a more palatable .265 with a .613 OPS in 55 games.
The 25-year-old has averaged 20 home runs, 81 RBI and 58 stolen bases per 162 games throughout his career in the minors. As recently as 2022, Thompson hit .304 with an .829 OPS in Triple-A.
Left-handed pitchers have limited Thompson to a .165 batting average in the majors, compared to his .285 average against righties. Thompson has managed to flash his above-average speed at the MLB level as well, stealing 22 bases on 27 tries for his career.
Thompson was a top-five prospect in Texas' system from 2018 to 2019, but he fell all the way to No. 29 on MLB Pipeline in 2022.
The outfielder's fall from grace has been apparent this offseason, given how many teams have bailed on him, but Thompson's ability to land with new clubs prove there is still a demand for his skillset.
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