The Twins have opened their offseason by circling back to a familiar arm, bringing right-hander Chris Vallimont back on a minor-league deal, according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson.
Minnesota first added Vallimont, 29, in mid-June after he’d spent time in the Atlantic League. He ended up working 70 2/3 innings across 18 outings, 15 of them starts, for Double-A Wichita, finishing with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP while striking out 68.
For the Twins, this looks like exactly what it is on the surface: a depth move. Vallimont isn’t being brought in as a projected front-line option, but he gives the organization another arm it can turn to if injuries pile up and Minnesota needs help later on. And if the expected lockout drags through the regular season, he’d still be eligible to pitch in the minors because he is not on the 40-man roster.
Vallimont’s path to this point has taken him all over the map. The Marlins grabbed him in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa., then sent him and Sergio Romo to the Twins at the 2019 trade deadline in the deal that brought Lewin Diaz and a player to be named later to Miami.
Minnesota eventually moved on from Vallimont in May 2022, designating him for assignment, and the Orioles picked him up on waivers. He finally reached the majors with Baltimore in July 2023, though his big-league résumé there was limited to one appearance before he was designated for assignment again. Baltimore then dealt him to the Guardians for cash.
That stint in Cleveland didn’t last long either. The Guardians designated him for assignment about a month later, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, then elected free agency after the 2023 season.
Since then, Vallimont has bounced through the Dodgers organization, the Atlantic League, the Mexican League and Puerto Rico. He spent the 2024 season split between the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and the Atlantic League, pitched in the Atlantic League and Mexican League in 2025, then worked in Puerto Rico during the 2025-26 season before returning to the Atlantic League in 2026. He posted a 3.99 ERA over seven independent league starts in 2026 before heading back to Minnesota on the new deal.
Across his minor-league career, Vallimont owns a 5.19 ERA with 598 strikeouts and 271 walks over 553 2/3 innings.
His lone major-league outing also offered a quick snapshot of his mix: a low-80s slider, a mid-90s four-seam fastball and a mid-80s changeup.
In Other News...
Twins Fans Can Trace This Collapse To Three Brutal Moments
The Twins 2026 season did not unravel in one clean, dramatic stretch so much as in a handful of moments that kept piling up until the playoff path looked almost gone. A familiar name was part of that story, as former Twins pitcher Randy Dobnak turned in back-to-back strong outings against Minnesota in less than a week, a reminder of how quickly momentum can slip away when an ex-player is on the wrong side of the matchup.
From there, the damage only deepened. An extra-inning loss to Detroit on Sept. 2 cost Minnesota a chance to hold onto third Wild Card position, and four days later the Twins were beaten badly by the White Sox in a result that made the slide feel a lot more like a collapse than a rough patch. By then, the seasons direction was hard to miss, even if the final details were still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Rocco Baldellis Next Opportunity Could Reframe His Twins Legacy
Rocco Baldellis time away from the dugout may not last long. The former Twins manager, now working in the Dodgers front office as a special assistant to Andrew Friedman, has surfaced in the conversation for Seattles managerial opening as the Mariners begin sorting through a disappointing season and looking for a new voice to lead the club forward.
For Twins fans, it adds another layer to Baldellis already complicated legacy in Minnesota. He spent seven seasons in charge, went 527-505 and won the division three times, leaving behind a rsum that still prompts debate about how his tenure should be remembered. A move to Seattle would not just be a fresh start for Baldelli, it could also offer another chance to reframe what his run in Minnesota ultimately meant. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Could Replace Royce Lewis With Another Risky Infield Bet
The Twins are weighing a difficult winter decision on Royce Lewis, whose recent underperformance has put his roster spot in question as the club considers whether to tender him a contract. If Minnesota does move on, the search for help on the infield would not be straightforward, especially with the team trying to balance upside, cost and the kind of stability it has lacked at times around the diamond.
One name that could surface is Alec Bohm, the former Phillies infielder who is set to hit free agency after the World Series. Bohm would bring a different kind of gamble, since his recent seasons have produced mixed results on both sides of the ball and his profile comes with plenty of uncertainty attached, even if the Twins are clearly looking for alternatives with some everyday experience. [Read more 🡒]