Yoendrys Gómez looked like the answer for Minnesota’s ninth inning not long ago. After the Twins picked him up from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash in early May, he arrived with little buzz - and for good reason. Tampa Bay had designated him for assignment after he put up a 6.23 ERA over 17 1/3 innings, and he had already bounced through three teams during the 2025 season before landing with the Rays.
Then Gómez found something in Minnesota. Over his first 39 innings with the Twins, he was excellent, posting a 1.85 ERA with 39 strikeouts. That run was strong enough to make him the club’s primary closer, and he has 22 saves in 24 chances this year.
But the shine has come off fast. In his last eight innings, Gómez has been tagged for 12 earned runs, which is four more than he allowed across his first 39 innings with the team. His ERA has jumped from 1.85 to 3.83.
The warning signs were there even during the hot streak. Gómez carried a 4.50 xFIP, a .242 BABIP and an 11.8% walk rate over that first stretch, all of which pointed toward regression. Still, the current skid has gone well beyond what most people would have expected.
Minnesota should be pleased with the deal overall. Gómez showed he can be dominant, and he ought to be in the Opening Day bullpen.
But the Twins should not hand him the Opening Day closer job. He can still work high-leverage innings early next season, yet his recent form has been too shaky to make him the top reliever going into 2027.
That job should belong to Jeff Hoffman.
Since coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays, Hoffman has given the Twins a 2.12 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 17 innings. On Saturday, he picked up his 100th and 101st strikeouts of the season, the first time he has reached that mark in his career.
There’s plenty of reason Blue Jays fans would be skeptical about Hoffman in the closer role. He saved 33 of 40 chances last year, but he also blew a save in the biggest possible spot, giving up a game-tying homer to Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning of World Series Game 7. This season, after he blew four of nine save opportunities, Toronto removed him from the closer job and, ironically, turned to Louis Varland.
Even so, Hoffman’s production in Minnesota makes the case clear. He’s the better bet to open next season as the Twins’ closer, and if things don’t work out, the club can always move him back into a setup role.
In Other News...
Twins Outfield Picture Just Got More Complicated At The Worst Time
With the Twins in the middle of a four-game set against the Angels, the outfield picture shifted again after Trevor Larnach was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist sprain. Minnesota responded by recalling Alan Roden from Triple-A St. Paul, a reminder of how quickly the margins can change this time of year, especially for a club trying to keep its lineup stable while the series plays out.
The timing is notable because Walker Jenkins has started to look much more like himself at the plate, piling up six hits and two home runs in the first two games against Los Angeles. For a Twins team already juggling results in the series, Jenkins surge offers a bright spot, but Larnachs absence only adds another layer of uncertainty to an outfield that has suddenly become a lot harder to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Byron Buxton's Long Injury Saga Just Got Worse For The Twins
Byron Buxtons season-long fight through hip pain has taken another turn, with the Twins center fielder undergoing successful arthroscopic surgery on his right hip. The procedure, performed by Dr. Christopher Larson, included a labral repair with decompression and cam resection, a sign of just how long this issue has been hanging over Buxton and the club after repeated trips to the injured list this year.
The timing only adds to the frustration in Minnesota, where the lineup is already dealing with another absence. Trevor Larnach landed on the injured list with a left wrist sprain, and Alan Roden was recalled from Triple-A to take his roster spot, leaving the Twins to patch together the outfield while Buxton begins the next phase of recovery. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Larnach News Puts New Attention On A Twins Roster Move
The Twins roster shuffle this week put a new spotlight on the outfield mix, with Trevor Larnach landing on the Injured List and Alan Roden getting the call-up in his place. It was the kind of transaction that can ripple quickly through a club looking to keep its depth intact, especially when the organization is also watching how its upper-level players are performing day to day.
Across the system, the St. Paul Saints helped keep that conversation moving with a 4-3 win over Columbus, getting key contributions from Kalai Rosario and Jake Rucker. With player performances continuing to sort themselves out and another game on the schedule, Minnesota has a little more clarity in one area and a fresh question in another about how it will manage the outfield moving forward. [Read more 🡒]