The Twins' Bullpen May Be Approaching Something Resembling Competence

There's still a lot to be determined about the Twins' bullpen in 2026. But after a couple recent additions, an area of the roster that loomed as a glaring weakness might just wind up being solid enough to not sink Minnesota's hopes of contending for a playoff spot this season.

This week, as pitchers and catchers were reporting to spring training in Florida, the Twins signed righty Liam Hendriks (to a minor-league deal) and traded for lefty Anthony Banda from the Dodgers. Both will likely slot into the back end of Minnesota's bullpen, with the caveat that Hendriks — who has hardly pitched over the last three years — will have to prove that he's healthy. The Twins also added to their competitive depth in camp by bringing in righty Julian Merryweather.

Hendriks and Banda join Taylor Rogers and Eric Orze as notable bullpen additions for Minnesota over the course of this offseason. Pair those four with returners Cole Sands, Justin Topa, and Kody Funderburk, and you can start to see the outline of what could be a semi-decent group of relievers.

And that's before talking about a very important piece of the puzzle, which is that the Twins have a number of younger starting pitchers or starter prospects who could make the move to the bullpen. That list includes David Festa, Taj Bradley, Connor Prielipp, Marco Raya, and plenty of others.

David Festa | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Many of the best relievers in Twins history began their careers as starters, including the three big names who the Twins traded away at last year's deadline: Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland. Veteran additions were needed to raise the floor of the 'pen, but it'll be the young starter conversions that determine the ceiling over the next few years.

As things stand right now, here's how I'd project Minnesota's eight-man bullpen, while acknowledging that a lot can change before Opening Day on March 26:

RHP Cole Sands
LHP Taylor Rogers
LHP Anthony Banda
RHP Liam Hendriks
RHP Justin Topa
RHP Eric Orze
LHP Kody Funderburk
RHP David Festa

Is that a great on-paper bullpen? It's not. Sands had a rough year last year, Banda has had some trouble with walks, and guys like Rogers and Hendriks are clearly past their prime. There's no obvious closer or A-level reliever in the bunch, which is a concern.

Could it be a competent bullpen? Absolutely. There's a lot of veteran experience there for bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins to lean on. Looking on the optimistic side, Sands was fantastic in 2024, Banda has been reliable for the Dodgers over the past two seasons, and Rogers and Hendriks have 199 combined saves between them. Topa and Orze should be solid. Funderburk was the Twins' best reliever over the last two months of last season. Festa's stuff could play up in a big way in a relief role.

On paper, the Twins should have a strong starting staff in 2026, led by Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez. Their offense could be solid if Byron Buxton is healthy and Royce Lewis bounces back. They just need the bullpen to not be an utter disaster in order to stay afloat in the relatively weak AL Central. And after adding Hendriks and Banda over the past few days, competence in that area feels more reachable than it has at any point since the bullpen was dismantled at last year's trade deadline.

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