Justin Topa’s latest stop has him back in the AL Central.
Three days after Toronto let him go, the former Minnesota Twins right-hander signed a minor-league deal with the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, according to his MLB.com transaction log. Kansas City sent him to Triple-A Omaha.
Topa’s path has moved quickly since Minnesota cut him loose on May 23, four days after designating him for assignment. The Twins had acquired him from the Seattle Mariners in the Jorge Polanco trade during the 2023-24 offseason, and after his release he latched on with the Blue Jays on a minor-league contract.
The 35-year-old’s 2025 season with Minnesota was uneven but productive overall. In 60 innings, he finished with a 3.90 ERA and 3.04 FIP, along with an 18.3% strikeout rate and a 6.7% walk rate. That came after a 2024 season that was wiped out almost entirely by left patellar tendinitis, limiting him to just three appearances.
Minnesota leaned on Topa more heavily than expected after moving nearly its entire bullpen in last summer’s fire sale, including Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax and Louis Varland. Heading into 2026, he stood out as one of the club’s more established and intriguing relief options.
This year, though, the results fell apart. Over 19 innings, Topa put up an 8.05 ERA and 6.46 FIP, with a 13.0% strikeout rate, a 12.0% walk rate and a .338 opponent batting average. His sinker also lost a noticeable tick of life in Minnesota, dropping from a 95.2 mph average in 2023 to 93.2 mph in 2026.
Topa did manage some better numbers at Triple-A Buffalo, where he posted a 3.38 ERA in eight innings over eight outings. But the underlying metrics still weren’t kind: a 5.31 FIP, 13.0% strikeout rate, 12.0% walk rate and a .338 opponent batting average. That likely explains why Toronto moved on.
The Twins, meanwhile, appear to have passed on a reunion. They need bullpen help, but not enough to bring Topa back unless he wanted to sign with Kansas City.
Instead, Minnesota added right-hander Woo-Suk Go from the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations on Sunday and signed right-hander Matt Bowman to a minor-league deal on Wednesday after Bowman opted out of his minor-league contract with Toronto. Go is on the 26-man roster, while Bowman was assigned to Triple-A St, Paul.
The bullpen picture is ugly for both clubs. As of Thursday morning, the Royals and Twins were tied for the worst bullpen ERA in the majors at 5.24.
The difference is in the standings: Minnesota remains in the postseason race, while Kansas City entered Thursday 8 1/2 games behind the final Wild Card spot. With that in mind, Topa may have a real chance to get back to the majors in Kansas City, where the Royals may simply need arms to cover innings.
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