That is why, at least in large part, the MN Twins have come out losers in nine of their last ten games. On Sunday, they tried to counter by using a left-handed opener against Milwaukee’s lefty-heavy top of the lineup… and it failed miserably.

Manager Rocco Baldelli made it clear after the game that he won’t hesitate to use the opener strategy again, something he clearly expects to do more of, while Pablo and Zebby recover from their shoulder injuries.

Connor Gillispie becomes Minnesota Twins latest waiver claim

But whether it’s at the beginning, middle or end of the game, the Minnesota Twins are starting to come to the reality that they will need more arms available, whether that be in the bullpen or rotation.

So on Monday, they snagged righty pitcher, Connor Gillispie, off waivers. The 27-year-old was there after, being cut from the Miami Marlins 40-man roster over the weekend. MLB waiver rules force the Twins to add Gillispie to their 40-man roster, taking up their final vacant spot, but he’ll actually start his Twins career in St. Paul.

Twins roster move: RHP Connor Gillispie was claimed off waivers from the Marlins and optioned to Class AAA.

Gillispie, 27, had an 8.65 ERA in six starts for Miami. That fills the last open spot on the Twins’ 40-man roster.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) June 23, 2025

The Minnesota Twins have done plenty of roster shuffling in recent weeks. They claimed Joey Wentz (Pittsburgh) back on June 11, the same day they moved Pablo Lopez off the active 40-man and onto the 60-day injured list.

What can Gillispie off the Twins?

Last season, Connor Gillispie made his big league debut out of the bullpen with the Cleveland Guardians. He pitched just eight innings over three games, but finished with respectable numbers 2.25 ERA and 1.125 WHIP, albeit a small sample size.

This year, however, Gillispie came up as a starter for the Miami Marlins, posting a brutal 8.65 ERA (5.69 FIP) across 26 innings. He did have some success early this season, back in April, but he’s mostly disappointed since.

Great outing for Connor Gillispie. Command was awesome, and had some HUGE strikeouts.

5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Clutch strikeout here of Lindor on a cutter to end the 5th. pic.twitter.com/zY68XKcX7q

— Jeremiah Geiger (@JeremiahGeiger2) April 2, 2025

Unfortunately, Connor Gillispie — who joins Jonah Bride as the second former Marlin to be acquired by Minnesota this year — hasn’t performed much better down the minors.

In eight games (seven starts) with Triple-A Columbus, the former 9th round draft pick out of VCU has posted a 4.28 ERA in 33.1 innings, with just 5.9 SO/9, which is way down from the 8.8 SO/9 during his career. His walks (4.3 BB/9) are way up too.

Minnesota Twins desperate for pitching help

This is an unfortunate cry for depth from the Minnesota Twins. Andrew Morris would have been next in line to start big league games, if needed. Then this weekend, he landed on the Saints’ injured list.

Pierson Ohl was promoted to St. Paul on Monday, where he will be inserted into the rotation. His prospect does not shine like those who recently have come up and struggled (David Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Zebby Matthews).

Related: Expect More Minnesota Twins “Openers”

It remains to be seen if Gillispie will work his way into the Minnesota Twins plans.They could have rostered Richard Lovelady for the bullpen, and turned to Wentz if in need of a starter. Lovelady recently opted out of his minor league deal with the Twins, after posting a 1.31 ERA across 20 2/3 innings with the Saints.

He signed Monday with the New York Mets.

On Friday, they will start a new series back in Minneapolis against their National League neighbor, the Milwaukee Brewers, with their best (active) pitcher Joe Ryan (80 IP | 2.93 ERA | 89 SO) scheduled to take the mound.

Despite their recent slide back to .500 (37-37), and the extreme lead Detroit has taken in the AL Central, though, the Minnesota Twins remain squarely in the American League Wild Card race, sitting 1.0 games back of the third and final slot, currently held by Boston.

Minnesota Twins targeting Marlins outfielder

As of today, with just over a month remaining until the MLB Trade Deadline, the Twins still consider themselves as a buyer. And at the top of their “shopping list” — if the Pohlads will allow us to call it that — is a left-handed outfield bat.

In an article posted Friday morning, former MLB GM-turned-Insider Jim Bowden (The Athletic) revealed Miami Marlins outfielder, Jesus Sanchez, as a top target for Minnesota, and one they’ve already locked onto, even this early in the process.

At 27 years old, Sanchez has proven himself as a consistent, quality bat, during his six-year MLB career. If acquired, he won’t blow the top off this lineup’s ceiling, but he would undoubtedly raise its floor.

The Twins have made it clear to opposing general managers that they are looking for a left-handed-hitting outfielder. Sánchez is one of their trade targets. He has slashed .251/.324/.412 with seven doubles, seven homers and seven steals in 53 games. Last year he hit .252 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs. He ranks in the 92nd percentile in bat speed and the 76th percentile in average exit velocity. Sánchez, 27, is under team control through 2027.

Jim Bowden – The Athletic

Jesús (The Truth) Sánchez pic.twitter.com/HLTLNtgPIb

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) June 7, 2025

Related: Could Tampa Bay Rays Sale Help Pohlads Sell Minnesota Twins?

With a .736 career OPS and 99 career OPS+ (499 games), Jesus Sanchez would be a nice addition to the Minnesota Twins lineup. He probably won’t lift them defensively, though. Jesus can play all three outfield positions, but he’s not a positive defender at any of them, and he’s a liability in center.

Sanchez has all sorts of range (2.45 career range factor per game), but he’s also committed the fourth-most errors (2) of any MLB outfielder so far this season, and he finished in that same spot back in 2021, with 5 total outfield errors in only 62 games played.

Miami Marlins want LHP Dasan Hill for Jesus Sanchez

Trading for a player like Sanchez won’t be an easy decision for Minnesota Twins president Derek Falvey, especially given what the Miami Marlins appear to be demanding, in exchange, which according to Bowden, is 19-year-old left-handed pitcher Dasan Hill.

Hill, who the Twins selected in the 2nd round of the 2024 MLB Draft, is absolutely ripping up low-A ball this season (1.65 ERA | 43 K | 27.1 IP) for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. This time last year, he had just graduated high school, out of Grapevine, TX.

In return, the Marlins would get Hill, a 19-year-old righty [Dasan Hill] whom the Twins selected in the second round of last year’s draft. He’s been dominant in the Low-A Florida State League this season, posting a 1.65 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. This is the type of trade that’s been prioritized by Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, who has shown a preference for accumulating talent over big-league readiness.

Jim Bowden – The Athletic

Dasan Hill, the 69th overall pick in the 2024 @MLBDraft, dominated on Saturday for the @MightyMussels💥

4 IP / 2 H / 0 R / 1 BB / 7 K#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/maU9MU7yMq

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) June 9, 2025

Related: Former Minnesota Twins Pitcher Ejected From Little League Game… and There’s Video

I get that the Minnesota Twins are looking for a lefty bat that can balance out the lineup a little bit, in the short term. However, left-handed hitting outfield prospects like Walker Jenkins (AA) and Emmanuel Rodriguez (AAA) are both one call away from big league action, once they can prove any ability to stay healthy.

Meanwhile, the Twins already have left-handed bats in the outfield, like Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach, who are already contributing positively to the big league club. Thus, I’m not really sure why Falvey would trade away a top draft pick who’s off to an incredibly hot minor league start, in exchange for a temporary outfield rental.

Nonetheless, Bowden seems very sure that this is exactly the type of trade the Minnesota front office is searching for. And no doubt, he knows more about what the Twins are seeking than I do.

Trade news: All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez is going to the Miami Marlins and right-hander Pablo Lopez is headed to the Minnesota Twins, sources tell ESPN. Deal is done. Players are being informed right now. More are involved.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 20, 2023

Infielder Jose Salas and one other prospect are heading to Minnesota along with Pablo López, source tells @TheAthletic. Salas, 19, is the Marlins’ No. 5 prospect, per @MLBPipeline. First on his inclusion: @CraigMish

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 20, 2023

Lopez will be 27-years-old when the 2023 season starts and he isn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2024 season. Outside of a rough start as a rookie 2018-2019, the Venezuelan right-hander has had a dynamite start to his career.

In the three seasons since, Pablo Lopez has posted a sub-4.00 ERA every year and collected 8.5 WAR. He ate 180 innings for the Marlins in 2022, posting a 3.75 ERA, 108 ERA+, 1.167 WHIP and 3.71 FIP.