Minnesota Twins Sign Their New/Old Closer

There are now just weeks left until the Minnesota Twins take over Fort Myers, Florida to kick off Grapefruit League action. For months it has been true that Derek Falvey needed to fix a bullpen that he tore apart at the trade deadline.

So far very little has been done to right the ship. Eric Orze was a low-wattage addition and the rest are either holdovers or minor league dart throws.

That changed on Thursday when the Twins opted to give an old friend a call. Welcome back Taylor Rogers.

Taylor Rogers returns to Minnesota Twins

Taylor Rogers is familiar with the Minnesota Twins making last minute moves. Just before the 2022 season he was shipped to San Diego, along with Brent Rooker, for Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan. Now a free agent, Falvey waited out his market and is bringing the closer home.

Drafted in the 11th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins out of Kentucky, Rogers has spent the vast majority of his professional career with the organization. In 2021 he was named to the All-Star Game in his home state of Colorado.

Since leaving the Twins, Rogers has pitched for five different teams. Last year with the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs he posted a 3.38 ERA (4.38 FIP) with a 9.4 K/9. A year ago, with the San Francisco Giants, Rogers owned a career-low 2.40 ERA (3.75 FIP).

Rogers hasn’t operated as the regular closer since leaving San Diego in 2021. He didn’t record a single save in either of the last two years either. For the MN Twins though, he will immediately assume the role.

As a left-handed pitcher, Rogers will also give Minnesota another southpaw option. Currently the have just Kody Funderburk ticketed for relief duty. The addition of Rogers pushes everyone else down a run and the 35-year-old should be expected to provide a steadying veteran presence.

State of the MN Twins bullpen

With Rogers in tow, the MN Twins have a more workable bullpen than they did without him. He pairs with Justin Topa, Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk, and Eric Orze as veteran options. That’s not exactly a lockdown group, but it’s a start.

From there the Twins can turn to veteran Dan Altavilla for a spot if he shows well this spring. That would cover six of the eight spots. Beyond that, they’ll need to get creative.

Both Travis Adams and Pierson Ohl worked as converted starters last season. Marco Raya is a logical fit to go down that path this season, but struggled mightily at Triple-A (6.02 ERA). There’s also the possibility of converting David Festa if he shows a clean bill of health.

Ultimately it would behoove the Twins to spend a minimal amount of money on another guaranteed big league contract. Whether they do remains to be seen.