The Minnesota Twins are taking a couple of low-risk, high-upside swings in the bullpen market, bringing back a familiar face and adding another arm with big-league experience. According to reports, the Twins have signed right-handed relievers Liam Hendriks and Julian Merryweather to minor league deals, with both expected to be in big-league camp this spring.
Let’s start with Merryweather, who’s looking to bounce back after a rough 2025 season. The 34-year-old righty is coming off a year that saw him struggle with command and consistency.
He allowed 13 runs (12 earned) over just 18 2/3 innings with the Cubs before being released in May. From there, he bounced around Triple-A with the Mets and Brewers, but the results didn’t improve much - a 5.87 ERA across 23 innings.
Still, there’s a reason Minnesota’s giving him a look.
Merryweather debuted with the Blue Jays in 2020 and spent three seasons in Toronto, flashing electric stuff but struggling to stay healthy. He posted a 5.64 ERA over 52 2/3 innings with 50 strikeouts and 17 walks during that stretch, often showing flashes of potential before injuries derailed his momentum.
In 2023, he finally put together a full season - and it was a good one. With the Cubs, Merryweather delivered a 3.38 ERA (3.52 FIP) across 72 innings, striking out 98 and walking 36.
That version of Merryweather looked like a legitimate late-inning option, pairing a high-velocity fastball with a sharp slider and solid ground-ball numbers. But a shoulder strain in 2024 landed him on the 60-day IL, and he never quite regained his form.
He only logged 15 big-league innings that season, posting a 6.60 ERA - though a 3.70 FIP hinted that he might have been better than the surface numbers suggested.
Fast-forward to 2026, and the Twins are betting that Merryweather still has something left in the tank. His stuff hasn’t disappeared - last season, his fastball still sat at 96 mph, and his slider remained a viable secondary pitch in the mid-80s. He’ll also mix in a low-80s changeup and sweeper, giving him a four-pitch mix that can be tough on hitters when he’s locating.
The biggest challenge? Command.
Merryweather has always had swing-and-miss stuff - 177 strikeouts in 158 1/3 career innings is proof of that - but walks and inconsistent control have kept him from reaching his full potential. That said, even in a down year, he managed a 45.2% ground-ball rate with the Cubs, which is a decent foundation to build on.
So what are his chances of cracking the Twins’ Opening Day bullpen?
As of now, Minnesota has a few relievers locked into roster spots: Cole Sands, Justin Topa, Kody Funderburk, Taylor Rogers, and Eric Orze. That leaves a handful of openings, and the competition should be wide open in Spring Training.
Merryweather will be battling it out with names like Jackson Kowar, Matt Bowman, Grant Hartwig, Dan Altavilla, and Travis Adams. The Twins also have a surplus of starting pitchers, and it’s possible that one or more of those arms - David Festa, Zebby Matthews, Mick Abel, or Simeon Woods Richardson - could shift into relief roles or be part of a six-man rotation.
In other words, there’s a path for Merryweather - but he’ll have to earn it. If he can stay healthy and find the strike zone consistently, he’s got the kind of swing-and-miss arsenal that every bullpen needs. And for a Twins team looking to solidify its relief corps heading into 2026, giving a veteran like Merryweather a shot makes a lot of sense.
It’s a classic spring training story: a veteran with something to prove, a team looking for upside, and a wide-open competition. Now it’s up to Merryweather to make the most of the opportunity.