Minnesota Twins Sign Another Depth Reliever to Minor League Deal

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Tyler Beede
Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

If there have been two constants to start the Minnesota Twins’ 2025 season, they are (1) a lot of losing and (2) shuttling pitchers between Minneapolis and St. Paul almost just as often.

At 5-12, Rocco Baldelli’s seat as manager is burning hot. This is a team that came into the season with division title aspirations. Instead, they’ve fallen flat out of the gate in deja vu fashion to how they finished the 2024 regular season.

Scott Blewett, Minnesota Twins
Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

A poor first trip through the rotation put the Twins immediately behind the eight ball. Bailey Ober pitched sick, which forced Randy Dobnak into 7 innings split by a near-hour rain delay. The next day, Dobnak was designated for assignment. After he cleared waivers, Dobnak returned to Triple A St. Paul.

Next up was Darren McCaughan, who pitched really well in 9 innings of relief work between March 31 and April 6. For his contributions, the 29-year-old former 12th round pick was awarded the same fate as Dobnak.

Related: MN Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli Sitting on Top of Hot Seat List

The corresponding move for McCaughan’s DFA was the promotion of veteran righty reliever Scott Blewett, who the Minnesota Twins wanted to stick in their bullpen long term. They did not want to subject Blewett to waivers like they did with Dobnak and McCaughan because they knew they ran a major risk of losing him.

Unfortunately, less than one week after Blewett’s promotion, the Twins did just that — officially DFAing the 29-year-old on April 11. Sure enough, three days later, Scott Blewett was scooped up by the Baltimore Orioles, ending his brief run as a Twin.

Tyler Beede joins Minnesota Twins bullpen shuttle service

If the MN Twins are going to keep utilizing their final bullpen spot as a revolving door, they will need more depth down at Triple-A. That’s why, on Tuesday, they signed Tyler Beede to a minor league deal. He will take Blewett’s spot in the Saints’ rotation, ready for an emergency call-up (and likely DFA) that could take place at any time.

Tyler Beede is a former first round pick, twice actually. He was selected 21st overall in 2011 by the Toronto Blue Jays, but declined his offer, in favor of a collegiate scholarship at Vanderbilt. Three years later, the San Francisco Giants took Beede with the 14th pick in the 2014 MLB Draft.

A former top 100 prospect and Futures Game participant, Beede’s career just never really got off the ground, once he reached the professional level. As a 30-year-old in 2023, Beede pitched in Japan, before going back to the MLB in 2024, with the Cleveland Guardians. There, he owned an 8.36 ERA across 14 innings. The strikeouts were there (18), but he also allowed 16 hits and walked 9 other batters.

Related: MN Twins Trying to Send Message with Brooks Lee Activation, Corresponding Demotion

Beede underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2020. In 2022, he threw 61 1/3 innings between pre/post trade deadline stints with the Giants, then Pirates. The 31-year-old’s velocity averaged 93.7 mph last year with Cleveland, down from 95.8 mph in 2022.

Minnesota assumedly will have Beede working in middle relief for the Saints. He isn’t on the 40-man roster, but could be a candidate to be added if yet another arm is needed. As has been the case with the previous veterans though, he is out of minor league options and will need to be DFA’d before going back to the minors.

MN Twins pitching hasn’t been the real problem

There were questions as to how good the Minnesota starting rotation may be this season. They were projection systems that tabbed the Twins bullpen as the best in baseball. Now they sit 5-12 and everything looks awful.

The reality though it that Minnesota can’t play defense and they certainly can’t hit. Over their past seven games Minnesota starters have an ERA under 1.00. The team has gone 2-5 in that stretch. A circus broke out on Monday night against the Mets with Willi Castro hitting a runner as if the game was dodgeball, and Justin Topa making the sixth error for Twins pitchers this season.

Minnesota’s .203 batting average is just two points better than the Chicago White Sox and puts them in 27th place across baseball. Their on-base percentage (.274 -27th) and slugging percentage (.327 – 25th) are equally dreadful.

Slow starts have become something of a constant for Baldelli led teams. That said, this group collectively can’t figure out how to get out of their own way. The talent on the roster is undeniable. Instead they are having to send messages through demotions less than three weeks into the season.

It’s getting late early in Twins Territory.

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