Earlier this offseason, the Twins were forced to protect several Rule 5-eligible prospects by adding them to the 40-man roster. Entering the draft, Minnesota’s roster was full, leaving no obvious path to add a player.

That changed just before the Rule 5 Draft began. The Twins created roster space, made a selection, and then immediately flipped that player in a trade.

Catching Depth Continues to Be a Focus for the Twins

Minnesota needed an open 40-man roster spot to participate in the Rule 5 Draft. They created one by placing outfielder Carson McCusker on release waivers, opening the door to add catching depth.

We have acquired C Miguel Caraballo and cash considerations from the San Francisco Giants.

Additionally, we have placed OF Carson McCusker on unconditional release waivers. pic.twitter.com/iPcUIT3WUd

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) December 10, 2025

McCusker appeared in 16 games for the Twins last season, logging just 30 plate appearances. While he showed prolific power in the minors, slugging 55 home runs in 275 games, it never translated at the major league level. According to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, McCusker is expected to play in Asia next season.

With the open roster spot, the Twins selected catcher Daniel Susac in the Rule 5 Draft. The former 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft came from the Athletics organization and owns a .280/.341/.444 slash line across 324 minor league games. Rather than keeping him after adding Alex Jackson as a back up to Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota immediately flipped Susac to the San Francisco Giants.

In return, the Twins acquired 17-year-old catcher Miguel Caraballo. Caraballo made his professional debut last season in the Dominican Summer League, where he batted .264/.432/.442 across 41 games with four doubles, two triples, and five home runs.

Only One Loss for Minnesota in the Rule 5 Draft

The Twins left several notable players unprotected, with outfielder Kyler Fedko and pitcher C.J. Culpepper appearing to be the most likely candidates to be selected. However, both went unclaimed, and Minnesota emerged from the major league portion of the Rule 5 Draft without losing a prospect, suggesting the front office accurately assessed their talent.

During the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, the Twins did lose hometown pitcher Aaron Rozek to the New York Mets.

#MNTwins lose Double-A LHP Aaron Rozek in minor-league portion of Rule 5.

Twins have selected two players in the minor-league portion.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) December 10, 2025

A Burnsville native and Minnesota State Mankato product, Rozek split last season between Double-A and Triple-A. He posted a 4.46 ERA over 109 total innings, including a 3.53 ERA at Double-A and a strong 2.19 ERA across 70 innings with Wichita in 2024. At 30 years old, Rozek likely welcomes a fresh start and another opportunity to break through with a new organization.