The Twins’ bullpen was one of the clearest problems on the roster this past season, and the numbers made that plain. Minnesota’s relief corps finished 26th with a 4.74 ERA and 28th with a 1.49 WHIP, a rough mix of too many walks and too many hits.
In the middle of that mess, Andrew Morris gave the Twins something to hold onto. He turned his first major league season into a real audition, and by the end of it, he had pushed himself into the conversation as one of the club’s better relief options.
Morris didn’t break camp with the 26-man roster, but he made his debut in April in Toronto. That first month was a struggle, as he posted a 6.35 ERA in April. After that, though, he settled in and started showing why the Twins kept giving him bigger spots.
May was the turning point. Over 12.1 innings that month, Morris put up a 2.19 ERA. He carried that momentum into June and July, when he logged a 3.77 ERA in June and then a sparkling 0.64 ERA in July.
From May through July, Morris ranked 19th among major league relievers with a 1.91 ERA. He also tied for ninth in fWAR at 0.8, alongside five others.
The late-season finish was a different story. After those strong three months, Morris faded badly down the stretch, pitching to a 6.94 ERA in August and an 8.10 ERA in September.
Even with the uneven finish, there was real substance underneath the results. Morris limited hard contact to 34.7 percent and kept the ball on the ground 45.5 percent of the time, both marks landing in at least the 68th percentile.
By the time his debut 2026 season was in the books, Morris had a 4.40 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over 73.2 innings. It wasn’t a clean run from start to finish, but it was enough to show the Twins what he can be. Heading into 2027, with Derek Shelton now in charge and newly hired pitching coach Brian Reith in the mix, Morris looks like one of the more dependable relief pieces Minnesota can build around.
In Other News...
Twins Face A Bench Decision That Could Cost Them Offense
The Twins leaned on Ryan Kreidler as their primary utility piece in 2026, trusting the glove-first profile that let them cover multiple spots without much fuss. It was a sensible fit for a roster that values flexibility, but it also came with the familiar tradeoff: defense first, offense second, and not much margin for a bench bat to disappear for long stretches.
Now the front office has to decide whether that compromise is worth carrying into 2027, or whether a different kind of utility option makes more sense if the market offers one. Minnesota has internal candidates to consider, but the bigger question is whether it can find a reserve who brings the same defensive coverage without leaving so much offense on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Costly Brandon Lowe Decision They May Regret
The Twins are weighing whether to make a run at Brandon Lowe, and the appeal is obvious. He just turned in a strong season with Pittsburgh, and a player with that kind of track record at second base would give Minnesota a veteran upgrade in a spot where the club already has internal options, including Kody Clemens. But with money and roster space both at a premium, this is the kind of move that can reshape the rest of the winter before it even starts.
Minnesota has several pressing items on its offseason list, from Ryan Jeffers qualifying offer situation to a bullpen that still needs help. Lowe fits the profile of a player who could improve the lineup, but he also represents a significant financial commitment for a team trying to balance short-term gains with longer-term flexibility. The question now is whether the Twins see him as the right answer at second base, or as another expensive decision they may not be able to afford. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twins Starter Chris Paddack Found An Unlikely New Baseball Life
Chris Paddacks career has taken a winding route since the Twins moved him to Detroit in 2025, where a rough stretch and a high ERA eventually left him off the Tigers postseason roster. The right-hander then kept searching for traction, with brief stops in Miami, Cincinnati and Texas offering only limited success before he headed overseas in July 2026 to try something different with the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization.
The change of scenery turned into a real reset. Paddack became a major piece for Samsung down the stretch and delivered strong pitching in the championship series, helping the Lions finish a title run that had been out of reach for more than a decade. For a pitcher whose recent seasons had been defined by instability, the move gave him an unlikely new baseball life and a chance to matter in October again, just in a very different league. [Read more 🡒]