Twins' Attempt to Glue Together Broken Bullpen Leads to Another Trade

Taylor Rashi is the third reliever the Twins have traded for this season.

Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Taylor Rashi against the Boston Red Sox at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For the third time this season, the Minnesota Twins have traded for a relief pitcher.

On Monday, Minnesota acquired right-hander Taylor Rashi from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The price to get him was "cash considerations."

Rashi has a 9.82 ERA in three big-league appearances this season, but the numbers require some context. In his season debut, he pitched a 1-2-3 inning against the Atlanta Braves. In his second opportunity, he pitched two perfect innings and struck out three batters against the New York Mets.

In his third chance, he entered the game with Arizona leading the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 with one out in the sixth inning. He gave up two singles and then issued a walk to load the bases before throwing an 84 mph slider over the heart of the plate, and Jeremiah Jackson unloaded on it for a grand slam.

The trade for Rashi came six days after Minnesota sent cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-hander Justin Lawrence. On May 7, the Twins sent cash to the Mets for right-hander Yeondry Gomez.

Overall, Twins relievers have a combined 4.87 ERA, which ranks 25th in Major League Baseball. At 30-37, Minnesota appears to be doing everything it possibly can, without breaking the bank, to glue together a bullpen that was shattered when Louis Varland, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Danny Coulombe, and Brock Stewart were all traded last season.

Perhaps the most damning statistic is that the Twins are dead last in the majors with a 1.75 WHIP in late/close situations. The definition of late/close situations is essentially any high-pressure opportunity in the 7th inning or later where the game is tied, or the Twins are leading by three runs or fewer, with the tying run on base, at-bat, or on deck.

Rashi hasn't had much of an opportunity at the big-league level, but he's been a solid strikeout pitcher in the minors. At Triple-A, he fanned 101 batters in 97 2/3 innings. His Double-A strikeout numbers were even more impressive, with 128 strikeouts in 95 innings.

The 30-year-old made his MLB debut in 2025. So far, he has 26 strikeouts in 20 innings across 13 relief appearances on his MLB stat card. He's also allowed 12 runs on 19 hits and nine walks.