Earlier this year Falvey matched up with former Minnesota reliever, and current Red Sox general manager, Craig Breslow for a trade. After DFA’ing Jorge Alcala, the Twins worked out a deal to send him to Boston for prospect Andy Lugo.

Probably unsurprisingly, Alcala flamed out in Boston as well. Now another former Twins pitcher is taking his roster spot.

Jovani Moran joins Boston Red Sox in Jorge Alcala’s roster spot

Jorge Alcala was designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox on August 7. He has since been picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals. On Monday the Red Sox added former MN Twins reliever Jovani Moran to the big league bullpen.

The Red Sox are calling up left-hander Jovani Moran from Triple-A Worcester, sources say.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) August 11, 2025

Although Alcala owned a 3.31 ERA with Boston, his 5.56 FIP was worse than the 5.45 FIP he owned with the Minnesota Twins this season. He has yet to pitch for the Cardinals, but an inability to throw strikes consistently remains his bugaboo.

Moran replaces him in Alex Cora’s bullpen and brings a southpaw look with him. The Red Sox acquired the left-hander before the season started when Minnesota dealt him for Mickey Gasper.

Watched new Red Sox LHP Jovani Moran on Saturday. FB 92-94, CH 82-84, SL 85-87, CB 80. Vertical slot is tough to pick up. FB missed bats. CH usually best secondary, but was leaving it up & gave up 3 hits. Threw often & clearly has solid feel for it. In 26 IP this year: 43 K:8 BB. pic.twitter.com/xgdwvujsQo

— Ian Cundall (@IanCundall) August 11, 2025

Minnesota didn’t have room on the 40-man roster for Moran after he missed all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. After brief rehab assignments in the Complex League and High-A, Moran made his way to Triple-A Worcester.

Related: Former GM Admits MN Twins Can’t Keep Top Tier Talent

Across 18 1/3 innings, Moran owns a 3.44 ERA while striking out 26 and walking just three. He has allowed a single home run on 18 hits.

When Moran debuts for Boston, the Red Sox will become just his second big league team. He last pitched for the Twins in 2023, and owns a 4.15 ERA (2.86 FIP) across 91 major league innings. It wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Moran flourish, and he’s someone Minnesota’s torn-down bullpen would love to have.

Although the best high-leverage arms remained at Rocco Baldelli’s disposal until July 31, they moved on from some of them prior to that.

Jorge Alcala has made a career out of being on the Minnesota Twins 26-man roster and not pitching. This season they decided it was enough and sent him packing. After being DFA’d by the Boston Red Sox earlier this week, he now has a new home.

St. Louis Cardinals grab former Minnesota Twins reliever Jorge Alcala

Minnesota flipped Alcala to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor league prospect Andy Lugo. Alcala pitched in 19 games for Boston before they decided his lack of command was enough. Now he’s headed to the National League.

We have claimed RHP Jorge Alcala off of waivers from the Red Sox. pic.twitter.com/HNMq9DpHV9

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 7, 2025

Alcala posted an 8.88 ERA (5.45 FIP) with Minnesota in 24 1/3 innings. He then had a 3.31 ERA (5.56 FIP) with Boston in 16 1/3 innings. The numbers with the Red Sox may look ok, but runs in four of his final six outings with a 6/4 K/BB isn’t ideal.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Mass Live’s Chris Cotillo, “The stuff was good. He wasn’t able to throw strikes. Good kid, good stuff. We’ll see what the future holds, but we needed to make a change.”

The future is now for Alcala. He’s 30 years old and on his third team this season. JoJo Romero is now the team’s closer after they traded Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets at the deadline. Alcala will likely slot into a low-leverage role.

Last season the MN Twins had Alcala averaging 98.0 mph on his fastball. That has dipped to 97.2 mph this season. He’s using the pitch more than ever, and velocity has almost always been a calling card. Unfortunately the high walk rates have always held him back.

Related: MN Twins Interested in Former (Familiar) Top Reliever

Interestingly enough, Ryan Pressly is currently on the Twins radar after being DFA’d by the Chicago Cubs. Pressly was originally traded to the Astros in exchange for Alcala.

When Minnesota broke Spring Training, Jorge Alcala was part of the Twins’ highly touted bullpen group. That was until mid-June when he was sent packing in a trade with the Boston Red Sox.

Now, Minnesota needs stabilizing relief arms, and are even considering Ryan Pressly, who team president Derek Falvey dealt to Houston back in 2018, in exchange for Alcala.

Boston Red Sox DFA former Minnesota Twins reliever Jorge Alcala

It remains to be seen whether or not the MN Twins can reel Pressly back in. One thing has become clear out in Boston, however. The Red Sox may be desperate for a high-octane arm in their bullpen… but Jorge Alcala ain’t it. After 19 games in a Red Sox uniform, Alcala was DFA’d on Tuesday.

Jorge Alcala was designated for assignment and Isaiah Campbell was called up.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) August 5, 2025

He pitched 16.1 innings for Boston, posting a 3.31 ERA and 5.56 FIP. That’s better than the 22 games he played for the Minnesota Twins… but not good enough. Sox manager Alex Cora explained Alcala’s problem to Mass Live’s Chris Cotillo in very simple terms. He can’t throw strikes… though his 4 homers allowed were a problem too.

“The stuff was good. He wasn’t able to throw strikes. Good kid, good stuff. We’ll see what the future holds, but we needed to make a change.”

Alex Cora – Mass Live

Vinnie Pasquantino – 405ft
RBIs: 1
Season Total: 19
Career Total: 57

Pitcher: Jorge Alcala
Location: Fenway Park
Date: 8/5/2025 pic.twitter.com/aRzjPlHYhO

— Royals Home Runs (@RoyalsDingers) August 5, 2025

Some pitchers are effectively wild, and some are just wild. Since 2022, Alcala owns a 4.2 BB/9. It’s not incredibly-high for a reliever, but so often he puts himself in bad situations.

Through his first 14 outings with Boston, Alcala allowed five runs (one earned) in 13 innings. Over his last five outings, the final of which was a three-run blowup against Kansas City, he recorded less than three outs four times. Alcala allowed six runs (five earned) in just 3 1/3 innings with a 5/4 K/BB.

Related: MN Twins Interested in Former (Familiar) Top Reliever

Because of his upper-90’s fastball Alcala is likely to find another opportunity. Whether that comes with a contender or not is a question. Alcala has been virtually this same pitcher for years. That won’t stop another organization from thinking they can change him.

But since his downfall started in August of last year, and as it continued into 2025, the Twins decided to stand by the 29-year-old righty. For a pitching staff that needs to step up while both Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews are on the injured list, Alcala has taken a step back.

Minnesota Twins trade Jorge Alcala to Red Sox

Then on Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers, Alcala gave up 5 earned runs on 5 hits in 1.2 innings pitched, which was finally the straw that broke Derek Falvey’s back. Wednesday, following the Twins’ first win in four games, Jorge Alcala was traded to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Class A infielder, Andy Lugo.

Language barrier correction: Twins have traded RHP Jorge Alcala to Boston, the pitcher said. He’s saying goodbye to teammates in clubhouse.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) June 12, 2025

This season with the MN Twins, Alcala posted a terrible 8.88 ERA (5.42 FIP) across 22 appearances (24.1 IP). The 10.4 K/9 is a career-high but he’s walking a ridiculous 5.5 batters per nine innings and still serving up plenty of dingers.

The writing was on the wall for Jorge Alcala as soon as the Twins claimed lefty reliever Joey Wentz off waivers on Wednesday afternoon, after he was DFA’d by the Pittsburgh Pirates. They put Pablo Lopez on the 60-day injured list to clear a 40-man spot.

Related: Minnesota Twins Claim Pirates Pitcher Off Waivers

The Minnesota Twins could not have demoted the seven-year veteran without clearing some serious hurdles. He is out of minor league options, and due to his accrued service time he could have rejected an assignment to Triple-A. He also is playing on a $1.5 million contract this season and would have been unlikely to be claimed on waivers.

Rather than gamble on the intentions of others teams through the waiver process, Derek Falvey acted in his best interest and swung a trade and even got the Red Sox to pick up all of Jorge Alcala’s remaining salary. This deal also closes the door on the Ryan Pressly (for Alcala and Gilberto Celestino) trade from the Houston Astros.

Who is Andy Lugo?

In return for their nearly 30-year-old Dominican relief pitcher, the Minnesota Twins received 21-year-old Dominican corner infield prospect, Andy Lugo, who joined the Boston Red Sox organization in 2022, at 18 years old.

He’ll likely join the Twins high-A affiliate in Cedar Rapids. Should you be excited about Lugo? That depends on how much you like bat flips…

Red Sox prospect Andy Lugo with one of the most comically high bat flips ever

(via @RealPedro_M) pic.twitter.com/Jr7qXpfZjF

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 20, 2025

So far this season at single A Greenville, Lugo has hit .265 with a .758 OPS. He has impressive speed and power, racking up 11 doubles already this season, to go with 4 home runs and 20 RBI. In his minor league career, Lugo is slashing a very competent .279/.344/.430.

Unfortunately, that changed fast following a three game trip out west to Sacramento vs the Athletics that landed both Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews on the injured list. Life has not been easy, since coming home. The Twins have lost four of their last five games, a stretch that culminated Tuesday night in a 16-4 drubbing at the hands of the Texas Rangers.

Simeon Woods Richardson looked brutal in his return to the rotation — 4.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R (6 ER). Unfortunately for the Twins, Jorge Alcala was determined to look worse, throwing 1.2 innings where he allowed 5 hits and 6 runs (5 earned).

Joey Wentz headed to Minnesota Twins active roster

It remains to be seen where the Minnesota Twins will turn for their next starting pitcher, if Simeon Woods Richardson and David Festa continue to struggle. The bullpen got a new arm today, claiming former first round pick Joey Wentz off waivers from Pittsburgh.

We have made the following roster move: pic.twitter.com/EdMKpKzuZY

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 11, 2025

Directly out of high school, Joey Wentz was taken 40th overall in the 2016 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. He made his big league debut with the Detroit Tigers during the 2022 season. He operated as a starter until last year, when he transitioned to a full-time reliever.

The Pirates acquired Wentz at the end of last season. He made eight appearances (12 innings) for Pittsburgh in 2024, allowing just two runs on six hits with a 13/6 K/BB. This year, Wentz has a 4.15 ERA (3.77 FIP) in 26 innings. He has struck out 22 hitters and walked 11.

Related: MLB Insider Reveals Surprising Minnesota Twins Trade Deadline Plans

The left-handed pitcher is averaging a career-best 93.9 mph on his fastball this season and uses it over 50% of the time. He pairs the pitch with a cutter and curveball. Wentz isn’t going to be a dominant arm out of the pen for the Minnesota Twins, but he provides another left-handed option to go with Danny Coulombe.

Joey Wentz striking out Elly De La Cruz

94.1 MPH fastball, 2198 RPM, 16 inVB, 10 inHB pic.twitter.com/eqM322ICx5

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) September 21, 2024

To clear room on the 40-man roster for Wentz, the Twins placed Pablo Lopez on the 60-day injured list. He is expected to miss between eight and twelve weeks with a grade 2 teres major strain. The move is procedural and doesn’t change his timeline.

How do MN Twins roster Joey Wentz?

Joey Wentz is expected to arrive in Minneapolis on Thursday, when the Twins will have to take someone off the 26-man-roster, in order to activate Wentz before the game. Which bullpen arm will Wentz replace? That is the question.

The Twins have been hesitant to put players on waivers and don’t like to lose guys. Still, this might finally be the end for Jorge Alcala, who signed for $1.5 million this season. He simply has not returned to the pitcher we once thought he would be, prior to injuries in 2022 and 2023 that derailed a hot start MLB career.

Jorge Alcala has a 7.77 ERA in 41 appearances since August 1 of last season, allowing 38 earned runs in 44 innings.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) June 11, 2025

Through 22 appearances this season (24.1 IP) Alcala owns an 8.88 ERA. His 10.4 K/9 is a career-best, but he is walking a ridiculous 5.5 batters per nine innings. He has also allowed a 1.8 HR/9 and 9-of-22 outings have resulted in runs scored.

The Minnesota Twins would need to designate Alcala for assignment, or place him on the injured list to open his roster spot. It’s unlikely he is DFA’d given the 40-man opening Lopez provided.

There really isn’t another likely candidate to hit the injured list unless something that has yet to be reported is lingering. Either way, we’ll find out Thursday how the Twins are going to handle the move.

40 man roster shuffle begins for the Minnesota Twins

Derek Falvey will need to work his magic with regards to his offseason blueprint once again. The team is for sale and while the Pohlad’s aren’t cutting payroll, they probably aren’t adding to it either. There were a handful of fringe roster players that found themselves outrighted from the 40-man on Monday.

#MNTwins outrighted the following players off the 40-man roster (all cleared waivers): Scott Blewett, Randy Dobnak, Daniel Duarte, Yunior Severino and Josh Winder.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) November 4, 2024

The emotional spectrum of the players outrighted is diverse. A veteran like Scott Blewett only found himself throwing 20 innings for Minnesota due to injuries. Randy Dobnak has been through this game before and it continues to be a formality. Yunior Severino experienced the reality for the first time, and it suggests his prospect status has fallen mightily. Of the decisions made its only that pair and Josh Winder who generate any level of intrigue.

Related: Minnesota Twins Early World Series Betting Odds

Dobnak will remain in the organization unless someone is willing to trade for him. He signed a $9.25 million contract prior to 2021 and is still owed at least $4 million through 2025. There’s no reason for him to become a free agent and walk away from that money. He also made it back to the big leagues last season, and again could conceivably be a depth option.

Related: Minnesota Twins Land Two Silver Slugger Finalists

There was a time that Josh Winder looked like a future roster fixture. A seventh round pick in 2018, Winder made a solid debut in 2022. He has struggled to stay healthy since though, and has now transitioned to a reliever full time. It’s somewhat curious that he went unclaimed, but most organizations have similar talents.

Last season Yunior Severino was added to the 40-man roster to protect him from being Rule 5 Draft eligible. After a .775 OPS in St. Paul poured water on his 2023, he has fallen to become little more than a fringe top-30 prospect at this point. Severino isn’t young at 25 years old, and without real defensive ability, it’s not a huge surprise no one took a shot. It is a reminder of just how quickly things can fall apart though.

Related: 3 Prospects Minnesota Twins MUST Add to 40-Man Roster Before Rule 5 Draft Deadline

Minnesota will look to pick their spots when it comes to offseason additions. The expectations should be higher for the trade market, but getting the roster in order was a must. Free agency officially opened on Monday.

Twins exercise Jorge Alcala’s option

It was quite curious how the Twins decided to use Jorge Alcala last season. Despite having dealt with plenty of arm injuries over the years, he had no consistent plan and was often shuffled back to St. Paul. That made it plausible to believe Minnesota may instead pay his $55,000 buyout. The decided to bring him back instead.

As expected, the #MNTwins exercised Jorge Alcala's team option for $1.5 million.

Alcala struggled in the second half, but posted a 3.24 ERA and 58-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 58 innings overall last season.

He'll be a free agent after 2025.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) November 4, 2024

At $1.5 million, Alcala seems like a no-brainer. Falvey has never seemed to like spending big on relievers, and Alcala brings upside at a muted cost. His 3.24 ERA was workable in 2024, and he proved to be a reliable arm in high-leverage spots at different points.

Jorge Alcalá, 100mph ⛽️ and Vicious 91mph Slider…and Sword ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/m0MFEphWNE

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 30, 2024

Related: Minnesota Twins 1st Baseman Carlos Santana Wins Gold Glove

Rocco Baldelli definitely needs some better options in relief this year as a whole. Falvey won’t be able to get by with only scrap heap additions. Keeping Alcala around is a good start.

Minnesota has 13 players due for arbitration salary raises. Players will need to agree to new contracts or be non-tendered and made free agents. Most of the Twins candidates are straightforward, but there is a foursome that could find themselves as surprise non-tenders.

Would the Minnesota Twins really drop All-Star Willi Castro?

Well, yes, maybe they would. Willi Castro was an All-Star last year for the Minnesota Twins. He replaced teammate Carlos Correa. Castro produced a career-high 3.1 fWAR and has had the two best seasons of his career with Minnesota. He is also projected to receive something north of $6 million in arbitration.

Willi Castro – Minnesota Twins (11)
pic.twitter.com/GysyCSAMlG

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) August 25, 2024

For a franchise threading the needle when it comes to spending, a near-doubling of his salary may be problematic. Austin Martin was used in a similar capacity this season. The rookie wasn’t as productive offensively, but also plays everywhere and could grow into that role.

Related: Former Minnesota Twins Infielder Undergoes Major Knee Surgery

A year after Kyle Farmer was a rich decision in arbitration, the Twins may opt against doing something similar with regards to Castro.

Jorge Alcala might be done with the Minnesota Twins

Last offseason the Twins signed Alcala to a two-year deal but brought him back at the same $790,000 figure he pitched on in 2023. He has a $1.5 million contract for 2025, but the buyout is a paltry $55,000. He was one of the best relievers in the bullpen at times, but Minnesota used him curiously and constantly shuttled him around.

Jorge Alcala (1.1IP 2H 0R 0BB 3K) was very strong in the @Twins win over the Rays yesterday. His slider won our Relief Pitcher Pitch of the Day pic.twitter.com/DLYqP0IXvb

— Baseball Prospectus (@baseballpro) September 3, 2024

It has been made clear for a while that the Twins don’t exactly value Alcala as a consistent member of their bullpen. The relationship may have run its course on both sides, and Minnesota may opt to change out some of their relief options. $1.5 million isn’t much for a reliever, but a $55,000 buyout is nearly unheard of.

Related: Free Agency Exodus Expected for Minnesota Twins

This could wind up being a situation where the Twins look back and regret seeing what Alcala becomes somewhere else.

The Twins might be sick of Alex Kirilloff

Minnesota made Alex Kirilloff their 1st overall pick back in 2016 out of Plum High School. The smooth swing was supposed to translate into both a high average and solid power. Thus far, neither of those things have taken place. His 116 OPS+ in 2023 is the only time he has produced above league average offensively. He was great in April, and then fell off a cliff during 2024.

Alex Kirilloff sends the @Twins home in #Walkoff fashion! pic.twitter.com/6SChLGmzjC

— MLB (@MLB) April 24, 2024

The storyline for Kirilloff isn’t just a lack of production, but it’s an inability to stay healthy as well. He has played more than 60 games in a season just once. Last year, following a demotion, he announced a back injury that kept him on the big league roster. It was beyond frustrating for Minnesota.

Related: Alex Kirilloff Forced to Shut Down Rehab Assignment Almost Immediately

Projected to earn just $1.8 million through arbitration, a non-tender would be more about needing to move on rather than being strapped for cash.

Justin Topa isn’t safe for Minnesota

When the Twins traded Jorge Polanco they did so in an effort to shuffle the roster. His salary was spread to acquire pitching, and they moved on from a constant injury concern. None of the big league acquisitions from that deal factored in last season, and Topa isn’t a certainty to be back in 2025 either.

Apologizing to Justin Topa as I was not familiar with his game #Filth pic.twitter.com/oaklnjmDik

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 26, 2024

Topa was great for the Mariners in 2023 with a 2.61 ERA across 61 games. He pitched in just three games for the Twins after a spring training knee issue caused him to miss virtually the whole season. His knee issue could be enough reason to cause uncertainty as to what his ability will be going forward. A projected $1.3 million salary would be just a $500,000 bump from 2024, however.

Related: 3 Rich People Who Make Sense as New Minnesota Twins Owners

If the Twins think Topa can be healthy from the get-go, then he should be back with an opportunity to pitch high-leverage innings. If they aren’t certain about that, then Gabriel Gonzalez remains the only piece from the Polanco deal.

Related: How to Watch Minnesota Twins in 2024

A big shuffle for the Minnesota Twins roster

As the Minnesota Twins continue to rearrange deck chairs on their sinking Titanic, Wednesday saw another handful of roster moves. Matt Wallner is headed to the injured list ending his season. He joins Max Kepler there. Austin Martin is taking his spot, and a pair of relievers are rejoining the active roster.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/Vns3EWwzes

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 25, 2024

Justin Topa, when he makes an appearance in a game, will become the first piece of the Twins Jorge Polanco trade to play this season. Anthony DeSclafani never threw a big league pitch, and Gabriel Gonzalez is on the farm. Topa owned a 2.61 ERA last season for the Mariners and was expected to be a key cog in the Twins bullpen. His knee issues prevented that from happening, and now he’ll have just a few games to make an impact.

Related: Max Kepler’s Minnesota Twins Career is Over

Just last week the Twins optioned Jorge Alcala to make room for Cole Irvin. It was an odd decision at the time, and resulted in Irvin being completely worthless on the big league roster. He posted a 12.27 ERA across four appearances while losing a game for Minnesota. Alcala has struggled down the stretch, but his stuff has never been as poor as Irvin’s was.

Justin Topa, Painted 97mph Two Seamer. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/uBZ1AGLM9E

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 13, 2023

The trio of moves reeks of desperation, and that’s ultimately the situation Minnesota finds themselves in. Martin is a capable outfield defender but certainly won’t make up the offensive production lost by Wallner. Topa needed to be in the bullpen weeks ago to save a struggling unit. Irvin never deserved a place on the big league roster in the first place, and Alcala was the fall guy.

Related: Carlos Correa Calls Out Minnesota Twins Teammates for Not Caring Enough

At this point Minnesota needs to go 5-0 the rest of the way and hope the Kansas City Royals falter. It’s a bad situation that they put themselves in. It’s also the bed they made and now they need to lay in it.

Sending down Jorge Alcala made the group even more thin, which has Rocco Baldelli essentially managing with one hand tied behind his back. But hey, at least we got a Max Kepler update.

Jorge Alcala looks done for the Minnesota Twins in 2024

Jorge Alcala went into the All-Star Break with a 1.56 ERA for the Minnesota Twins. Despite being optioned already and having been given the runaround, he was among the best relievers for Rocco Baldelli.

The second half then hit and misfortune piled up. Across 20 games since July 20, Alcala posted a 6.75 ERA with a 7.07 FIP. He allowed opposing hitters a .923 OPS and fell out of the bullpen rotation.

Minnesota saw enough and sent him packing for veteran Cole Irvin. According to Rocco, the Twins wanted more lefty length in the bullpen, given how many young starters they are currently relying on,

“Length is probably the main point. We’re going to have games where we might need someone to throw three or four innings. It’s hard to make some of these decisions when the time comes. Obviously I had to sit with him last night and talk through it. Not always the easiest of conversations, but sometimes a tough one has to be made.”

Rocco Baldelli on the decision to option Jorge Alcala (Star Tribune)

The Star Tribune’s Phil Miller suggested that Alcala will likely head to Fort Myers, when the St. Paul Saints season ends, and remain ready, should the Twins make the playoffs.

But even then, it sounds like he’s unlikely to make the active playoff roster. Tonight, Irvin got his first opportunity out of the Minnesota Twins bullpen. The lefty, with poor numbers, got just one out before being sent to the showers.

Jorge Alcalá, 100mph ⛽️ and Vicious 91mph Slider…and Sword ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/m0MFEphWNE

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 30, 2024

Alcala had pitched multiple innings in six appearances this season. The latest was his last time out, in which he struck out four in a scoreless outing against the Cincinnati Reds.

His stuff is infinitely better than the veteran Minnesota claimed, and even with the tough stretch, it seems the Twins willingly made their bullpen worse.

Related: Minnesota Twins Making Surprise Move in Bullpen After Latest Meltdown

All year the Twins have sent Alcala on an odd wild goose chase. Despite arm issues that have held him back, he was often asked to do out of the ordinary work early in the year.

Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran were both exhausted in appearances on Tuesday, and Irvin won’t be capable of keeping them fresh.

Max Kepler lagging behind for Minnesota

The Twins have already activated Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, and Manuel Margot. Each of them went through a creative rehab plan that had them facing Minnesota minor leaguers.

Max Kepler, who was the last to hit the injured list, still remains delayed. He has made a career of inappropriately playing through injury to the team’s detriment.

“Max requested to get that reviewed by another doctor, [The doctor] decided that the best thing to do was get a cortisone injection, which he got [Monday], and he has felt better ever since. We know the season is coming to a close here soon, so we’re targeting getting him into games this weekend in St. Paul.

That would be the goal at present. It’s a core muscle, hip abdominal area issue, and he wanted to make sure it wasn’t serious. Obviously we’re running out of time. As long as his week goes well, then we’ll track toward games this weekend.”

Derek Falvey on Max Kepler’s return (Star Tribune)

Max Kepler was called for batter’s interference after Francisco Alvarez drilled him in the helmet pic.twitter.com/ERviJgeDlG

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 31, 2024

Kepler has been on the shelf since September 1. He posted a .906 OPS through the first 32 games of the year, and has a .591 OPS in 73 since. It’s as though Kepler has never grasped that his ability is severely muted while playing through injury and it has led to just a pair of above-average offensive seasons over a 10-year career.

Both Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner are superior options at this point. Short of Kepler being willing to play as a defensive replacement, his return to the big league club may be a detriment in the final week and postseason.

Related: If Mike Trout Can Change Positions, Why Can’t Minnesota Twins Players?

The Twins are doing everything possible to keep their waning postseason hopes alive. Rocco Baldelli is having to grasp at straws with a roster running on fumes. Things could wind up being too much to overcome.

It’s like the worst Mad Lib of all time. Insert a score, inning, opponent, losing relief pitcher, along with the hit that delivered the final blow, and that’s how the Twins ruined their playoffs odds that night. Unfortunately, it’s a Mad Lib that is playing out in real life right now, in Minnesota. Over and over again and over again, for the past month.

At this point, not only is their bullpen unreliable, but most of their pitching staff cannot be trusted. Of course, that’s what happens when ownership prioritizes shrinking player payroll by 15%, over winning. Shocker: collecting wins becomes more difficult.

Minnesota Twins optioning Jorge Alcala, replacing him with LHP Cole Irvin

After the loss, Minnesota dropped to 79-71, on the season. Then, surprising news broke that they plan to drop relief pitcher Jorge Alcala down to the minor leagues, in order to make room for left-handed pitcher, Cole Irvin, who they just signed earlier in the day, Monday.

#MNTwins are optioning Jorge Alcala to make space for LHP Cole Irvin, which is definitely surprising.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 17, 2024

This team is gassed and beat up. Their best players are playing well below 100%, and their pitching staff is a shell of what it was last season, at this time. Remember, Sonny Gray walked in the offseason, and the Twins did no replace him. That put more owness on young pitchers, and the bullpen.

Then Joe Ryan got hurt, Louie Varland sucked and Pablo Lopez struggled out of the gate. Jax, who gave up the lead last night, has risen to be one of the best pitchers in the MLB. But Jhoan Duran took a step back, after proving to be one of the most dominant closers in baseball in 2023, and the rest of the bullpen has been a rollercoaster ride.

Related: What Can We Reasonably Expect from Minnesota Twins Big Three?

Yes, Cole Sands has been really good lately, but he wasn’t even in the big leagues for most of the first half, because he wasn’t good enough. Sure, Jorge Alcala looked like he was getting his MLB on track, through the first 1.5 weeks of August, posting a 1.60 ERA, 2.89 FIP and a 4.93 OPS against in 39.1 IP between March 30 and August 2.

Why option Alcala for an arm that can’t pitch in the playoffs?

But 29-year-old Dominican right-hander has been atrocious for most of the 2nd half. In 15 appearances (15.1 IP) since August 4, Alcala has a 8.22 ERA, 8.19 FIP and .995 OPS against. His most recent meltdown came Friday, when he blew a late lead to the Cincinnati Reds that killed all the good vibes surrounding Byron Buxton’s return from IR, that same night.

That’s why Alcala is being optioned to triple-A, today, and why the Twins are turning to a pitcher who isn’t very good, not to mention he is not eligible for the postseason. Rocco must want another lefty arm on staff, for the last couple weeks of the season. Jorge Alcala needs to get his head on straight, before the playoffs, and he has options available. Yes, I said playoffs.

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If the Twins — who currently hold a 1.5 game lead on the Detroit Tigers for the final Wildcard spot in the American League — make the postseason, they are going to need Jorge Alcala to pitch. They simply do not have anyone else. Why don’t they have anyone else? We already went over that. Not just in this article, but many times before.

Yes, the postseason is a big “if”, at this point. But it’s still more likely, than not. According to Fangraphs Tuesday morning, the Twins have a 76.2% chance to make the 2024 MLB playoff bracket.