The Twins knew this was coming. After last year’s deadline stripped away Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart and Danny Coulombe, the bullpen entered this season with a massive hole and not nearly enough help added over the winter to patch it. The result has been ugly: Minnesota’s relief group ranks 26th in baseball with a 4.92 ERA and 29th with a 1.52 WHIP, while also giving up the sixth-most walks in the league and not missing enough bats to make up for all the free traffic.
That’s a steep fall for a unit that was considered one of the organization’s biggest strengths just a year ago. It’s also a reminder of how much damage came from last summer’s fire sale, when the Twins didn’t just move one late-inning arm but both Duran and Jax.
Since both pitchers were under team control through 2028, the more natural expectation was that one would stay behind to anchor the bullpen. Instead, Minnesota lost both, and the search for replacements has been a work in progress ever since.
Andrew Morris and Yoendrys Gómez are not Duran and Jax, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But the Twins may already have the early outline of their next high-end late-inning tandem.
Gómez has been especially important since arriving in Minnesota. He owns a 1.78 ERA over 30 1/3 innings with the Twins and has converted all 12 of his save chances.
When Derek Shelton has given him the ball in the ninth with a lead, Gómez has gotten the job done. On a staff that has spent too much time trying to hold things together late, that kind of stability matters.
The numbers under the hood are a little less flattering, but there’s a reason for that. A good chunk of the damage to his expected stats came earlier in the season during his short run with the Rays.
Since landing with the Twins, Gómez has looked like a different pitcher. His sweeper has turned into a real weapon, the kind of breaking ball that can carry a reliever through the biggest moments, and he’s used it with impressive results.
There’s still room for growth in the rest of his arsenal, and that’s part of what makes his start so appealing. Gómez is only 26, which leaves plenty of time for more refinement and another step forward.
Morris has taken a different route, but his rookie year has been just as encouraging. There’s a case to be made that he’s been Minnesota’s best reliever this season.
He doesn’t rely on one overpowering pitch the way some late-inning arms do. Instead, he’s built his success on a deep mix and a knack for keeping hitters from doing real damage.
That has helped him escape jams and navigate pressure spots without needing a classic wipeout offering.
The swing-and-miss element is starting to show up, too. Every one of Morris’ six pitches has produced whiffs on at least 20 percent of swings this season. That says a lot about how well his entire repertoire plays, and it hints at even more upside if he eventually finds a true put-away pitch to go with everything else.
Taken together, Morris and Gómez already look like the most dependable arms in the bullpen. That’s not the same as saying they’ve replaced Duran and Jax, because they haven’t.
But it does feel fair to say the Twins may already have the beginnings of something similar. Both pitchers remain under team control through the 2031 season, with two years of pre-arbitration eligibility before three arbitration seasons, giving Minnesota a long runway to keep developing them side by side.
The bullpen still has a long way to go before it looks like a strength again. But if Morris and Gómez keep trending the way they have, the Twins might not be searching for their next great late-inning duo for much longer.
In Other News...
Twins Deadline Focus Now Includes One Clear Outfield Need
After adding three pitchers this month, the Twins deadline shopping list still does not feel finished. Pitching remains a priority, with the club reportedly looking for a late-inning right-handed reliever, but there is also a quieter need taking shape in the outfield, where Minnesota could use another right-handed bat to deepen the bench and give the lineup more balance.
One name that has surfaced is a versatile Dodgers outfielder who can handle all three spots and has drawn attention for his work against left-handed pitching. He also comes with multiple years of arbitration control, which makes him the kind of fit front offices tend to circle at this time of year, even if the final asking price is still part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Paid A Price For Bullpen Help Fans Need To See
The Twins kept pushing to shore up their bullpen before the trade deadline, and their latest move adds another late-inning arm with a track record that should fit the stretch run. Jeff Hoffman brings postseason experience and a strong strikeout profile, giving Minnesota another option to help stabilize games down the back end as the club continues to reshape its roster after earlier deals for A.J. Minter and Dean Kremer.
The price was real, though, and it went beyond a simple cash consideration. Minnesota parted with Dasan Hill, John Klein, Dameury Pena and international cap space to get the deal done, a reminder that bullpen fixes often come with long-term costs attached. Hoffman is expected to be part of the picture through 2028, but the Twins gave up multiple pieces in a move that says plenty about how aggressive they plan to be in the months ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Are Sending A Clear Deadline Message With This Pitching Move
The Twins made another pitching shuffle as the deadline and stretch run draw closer, activating right-hander Dean Kremer and optioning Jack Anderson to Triple-A St. Paul. It is the kind of move teams make when they want a little more stability on the mound without losing flexibility, especially with the season entering a more demanding phase and front offices weighing every roster spot.
Anderson has already bounced between the majors and minors several times this season, and this latest trip back to St. Paul is expected to be temporary. Still, the transaction says plenty about how Minnesota is approaching this moment: the Twins want pitching depth in place now, and they are keeping enough room open to adjust again as the trade deadline pressure builds. [Read more 🡒]