The Twins are taking a flier on a high-octane arm, claiming right-hander Jackson Kowar off waivers from the Mariners. It’s a low-risk move for a Minnesota bullpen that’s been stripped down and is now searching for answers-and arms-with upside.
Let’s unpack how we got here. Seattle designated Kowar for assignment last week after acquiring catcher Jhonny Pereda from the Twins.
That trade, in turn, was part of a broader roster shuffle in Minnesota. After signing veteran catcher Victor Caratini and lefty reliever Taylor Rogers, the Twins needed to clear space on the 40-man roster.
They DFA’d Pereda and right-hander Pierson Ohl, then sent Pereda to the Mariners and packaged Ohl with infielder Edouard Julien in a trade with the Rockies. That deal brought back a minor leaguer and some cash, and more importantly, freed up a roster spot-one they’ve now used on Kowar.
Kowar, 29, brings serious heat. His four-seamer and sinker both sit in the upper 90s, and that kind of velocity always turns heads.
But so far, it hasn’t translated into results at the big league level. Across 91 MLB innings with the Royals and Mariners, Kowar has struggled to a rough 8.21 ERA.
He’s walked over 13% of the batters he’s faced, and while he’s struck out a decent 20.3%, it hasn’t been enough to offset the command issues and hard contact.
Triple-A hasn’t been much kinder. Kowar owns a 4.92 ERA at that level, and with Seattle burning his final minor league option in 2025, he’s now out of options. That means he has to stick on the Twins’ active roster or be exposed to waivers again.
So why make the move? For the Twins, it comes down to opportunity and need.
After last year’s deadline sell-off, the bullpen is a shell of its former self. Minnesota moved on from key relievers like Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Danny Coulombe, and Brock Stewart.
Outside of bringing in the 35-year-old Rogers and acquiring Eric Orze-who has just 35 big league appearances-the Twins haven’t done much to replenish the relief corps.
That opens the door for someone like Kowar. His raw stuff is enticing, and in a bullpen that’s wide open, he’ll likely get a chance to prove he can harness it.
The Twins don’t have to commit long-term-if he struggles, they could try to sneak him through waivers. And because he hasn’t been outrighted before and lacks the service time to reject an assignment, they’d still retain control if he clears.
In short, this is a classic upside play. Kowar’s numbers don’t jump off the page-in fact, they’ve been rough-but the velocity is real, and Minnesota has a bullpen in flux.
If he clicks, the Twins might have found a power arm for a bargain. If not, they can move on without much cost.
Either way, it’s a move that makes sense for a team trying to piece together a new-look relief corps while keeping one eye on 2026 contention.