MLB Insider Floats Lefty Reliever as Great Fit for Minnesota Twins

By Ted Schwerzler |

Updated: Nov 25, 2024

Andrew Chafin — Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Free agency is underway across Major League Baseball and the Minnesota Twins have work to do. It remains to be seen how Derek Falvey will work around the limitations imposed by ownership, but he’ll have to get creative this offseason.

The Twins don’t have a significant amount of money to spend, and even if they deal some veterans a windfall of cash flow isn’t coming. Falvey will need to pick his spots on the open market, and there are a few different avenues he could go down.

Andrew Chafin makes sense for Twins bullpen

Throughout his tenure leading Minnesota’s front office, Derek Falvey has shied away from spending money on the bullpen. That is often an understood strategy, and when he did pay Addison Reed it blew up in his face. MLB Insider Mark Feinsand sees Andrew Chafin as a fit for Minnesota, and he shouldn’t command big dollars.

“Minnesota’s bullpen struggled from the left side in 2024, as its southpaws combined for a 5.31 ERA and .453 opponent slugging percentage — both MLB highs. Caleb Thielbar is a free agent, leaving a thin group even thinner. Chafin had 70 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings with the Tigers and Rangers last season, ranking near the top of the league in both chase percentage and whiff percentage.”
Mark Feinsand on Andrew Chafin to the Twins (MLB.com)

Last year Chafin made $4.75 million and posted a 3.51 ERA across 56 1/3 innings. He backed it up with a 3.54 FIP and dominant 11.2 K/9. Dealt at the deadline by Detroit, things went a bit awry in Texas. Chafin issued 15 free passes in just 19 1/3 innings for the Rangers. The longball wasn’t a problem last year, but his walk rate has trended the wrong way the past two seasons.

Andrew Chafin is hilarious.

He was pissed after giving up a game-tying homer in the 9th inning but then got over it pretty quickly lol pic.twitter.com/MRhsVDl0Rs
— Casanova Clubhouse (@CasaYanks) May 9, 2024

Minnesota knows the 34-year-old well from his time with the Tigers. He isn’t a fireballer, but that’s not traditionally an expectation from a southpaw. Chafin succeeds by forcing hitters to go after stuff they can’t touch. His 34.2% chase rate last year was a career-high, and the 15.4 whiff rate was elite as well.

It should cost about the same to employ Chafin in 2025 as it did a year ago. The Twins aren’t going to get gaudy in free agency, but swinging a deal under $5 million seems doable. I do wonder if he shouldn’t get a slight bonus for looking like Kenny Powers.

Lefty help is a must for Minnesota Twins

As Feinsand mentioned, the Minnesota Twins didn’t get much out of their left-handed bullpen options a season ago. Caleb Thielbar has been a nice reclamation story, but his 5.32 ERA suggests it might be the end of the line. Steven Okert was DFA’d before the year ended and Cole Irvin couldn’t find a job in this country. The available options are Kody Funderburk and Brent Headrick, which isn’t enough depth for Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen.

Kody Funderburk was dealing yesterday in some Spring Training action💥

2 IP / 0 H / 0 R / 4 K

On the day, he got 7 whiffs on 11 swings good for a 64% miss rate ⚔️#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/KtLwIDzxym
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) March 14, 2024

There should be hope that Funderburk can take the step forward. He allowed just a single run across 12 innings as a rookie, but dealt with injuries and posted a 6.49 ERA last year. Minnesota needs him to put that performance in the rearview mirror. Funderburk may wind up being the guy, but pairing him with a proven veteran makes a good deal of sense.

Headrick was shut down early in 2024 and wound up pitching in just a single game for the Twins. He’s no longer a starter, and the stuff profiles more as a long reliever in the bullpen. If Minnesota can push even a few more ticks out of his current 92.2 mph average, then the effectiveness will benefit as well.

No matter what, it’s virtually unfathomable to think that Minnesota is set with it’s lefty relief help at this point. The bullpen needs to be what was expected rather than what took place last year. More depth will help that become a reality.