Twins Release St. Paul Saints Pitcher Who Started Their 20-Walk Disaster

The Twins have released St. Paul Saints left-handed pitcher Christian MacLeod, who was the starter in their nightmarish 20-walk home opener last Tuesday.

MacLeod failed to get out of the first inning in his season debut against the Worcester Red Sox. After three walks and three hits, including a long three-run home run, he was pulled from the game, having recorded just two outs on 38 pitches. He ended up being charged with six earned runs. That was just the start of a truly horrendous evening for St. Paul's pitching staff, which surrendered 13 hits and an absurd 20 bases on balls in a 19-3 defeat.

MacLeod, a fifth-round pick by the Twins out of Mississippi State in 2021, has had a tough time at the Triple-A level. In 14 career appearances for the Saints, 12 of which came last year, he's posted an 8.41 ERA, with 48 strikeouts and 30 walks in 40.2 innings pitched. MacLeod, who turns 26 this month, has had success at the lower levels of the minors, including a 3.12 ERA in 86.2 innings with Double-A Wichita. Now it appears that he'll look to continue his minor-league career elsewhere.

Twins make a minor trade

Taking MacLeod's spot on the Saints' roster is 27-year-old right-handed reliever Garret Acton, who the Twins acquired in a trade with the Marlins this week.

Acton had a 3.68 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 58.2 innings pitched for the Rays' Triple-A affiliate last year. He pitched in one game for Tampa Bay in 2025 and made his MLB debut with the Athletics in 2023, appearing in six games. A native of Naperville, IL, and a former closer at the University of Illinois, Acton missed the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

To complete the trade, the Twins sent reliever Logan Whitaker to Miami. He was a 19th-round pick in the 2024 draft who had a 2.11 ERA in 38.1 innings between High-A and Double-A last year.

We have made the following trade with Miami: pic.twitter.com/CFDbdJefxh
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 2, 2026

Acton adds another arm with big-league experience to a Saints bullpen that the Twins could call on for reinforcements over the course of the year. Dan Altavilla might be next in line if Minnesota needs a reliever. Matt Bowman, John Brebbia, Drew Smith, Eduardo Salazar, and Grant Hartwig are other St. Paul relievers who have pitched in MLB. One more, Julian Merryweather, is currently on the Triple-A IL.

The Saints also have a couple prospect-type relievers in John Klein and Marco Raya. It's a bullpen that figures to be a lot better than it was last Tuesday at CHS Field.