Twins Finally Make a Bullpen Addition, Reunite With Former All-Star

At long last, the Twins have made a much-needed addition to their bullpen. They're reuniting with former All-Star lefty Taylor Rogers on a one-year, $2 million deal, according to Aaron Gleeman and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Rogers, 35, was drafted by the Twins in 2012 and spent a decade with the organization, including six MLB seasons after debuting in 2016. He recorded 30 saves in an outstanding 2019 season and was named an All-Star in 2021. Since departing, Rogers has had stints with the Padres, Brewers, Giants, Reds, and Cubs, with varying levels of success.

Last year, Rogers was traded three different times. He went from the Giants to the Reds and had a strong first half for Cincinnati, recording a 2.45 ERA over 33 innings. He then was traded to the Pirates before the deadline, only to be dealt to the Cubs the very next day (without making an appearance for Pittsburgh). Rogers struggled a bit (5.09 ERA) in 17 appearances for Chicago.

Overall, he had a 3.38 ERA in 50.2 innings last season. In 2024 with the Giants, he had a 2.40 mark and 64 strikeouts in 60 frames. If he can maintain something along the lines of that level of production, he'll be a major addition to the Twins' bullpen in a medium- or high-leverage role.

Rogers was an 11th-round pick by the Twins out of the University of Kentucky in 2012. He worked his way up through their system and became a big piece of Minnesota's bullpen in the late 2010s. His best seasons came in 2018 and 2019, when he had nearly identical numbers with 68-69 innings pitched and an ERA between 2.61 and 2.63. In six years with the Twins, Rogers had a 3.15 ERA in 314.2 innings.

Taylor Rogers pitching for the Twins in 2021 | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

In the spring of 2022, Rogers and Brent Rooker were traded to the Padres for Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan in a deal that didn't age well for the Twins. Rogers was then sent from San Diego to Milwaukee at that year's trade deadline in a package for Josh Hader. He spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons pitching effectively for the Giants before continuing to bounce around the NL last year.

Rogers has always leaned heavily on his sinker and induced a lot of ground balls when he's at his best. He's complemented that pitch with different breaking balls over the years and has struck out 10.4 batters per nine innings for his career. Since about 2020, Rogers has been almost exclusively a two-pitch guy, throwing both his sinker and his sweeper about half the time. It's all he needs.

Prior to signing Rogers, the Twins' only bullpen addition this offseason had been trading for righty Eric Orze from the Rays. They could still use another move or two to further raise the floor of their bullpen, but reuniting with Rogers is a step in the right direction.

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