The Minnesota Twins made a bullpen move on Wednesday, designating left-hander Joey Wentz for assignment and selecting the contract of fellow southpaw Anthony Misiewicz from Triple-A St. Paul.
Wentz, 27, was a waiver claim last month from Pittsburgh but struggled mightily during his brief tenure with the Twins. He appeared in six games and allowed runs in five of them, ultimately compiling a 15.75 ERA over just eight innings. He served mostly in low-leverage situations, often coming in as a long reliever or mop-up man, and the results made it clear that a change was needed.
Once a top prospect in the Braves organization, Wentz was traded to Detroit in the 2019 Shane Greene deal. He debuted with the Tigers, but has yet to establish himself in the big leagues. Over parts of four MLB seasons, he’s amassed 239 2/3 innings with a 5.75 ERA, a 20.6% strikeout rate, and a walk rate just over 10%. Issues with home runs (1.5 per nine innings) and stranding baserunners have continued to plague him (62.5 LOB% in 2025). For his career, he has accumulated -1.6 WAR, so he might be running out of big-league opportunities.
Because Wentz is out of minor-league options, Minnesota couldn’t send him down without exposing him to waivers. If no team claims him within the waiver period, the Twins could outright him to Triple-A and try to work on his mechanics in a lower-pressure setting. A resolution will likely come within the next week.
Stepping into his roster spot is 30-year-old Misiewicz, who joined the Twins on a minor-league deal this offseason. Pitching out of the Saints’ bullpen, Misiewicz posted a 4.02 ERA while notching eight saves and a hold. His 24.2% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate reflect solid command, and aside from one tough outing in late June (5 ER in 1 IP), he’s been steady, including two clean appearances since then.
Misiewicz brings plenty of major-league experience, having previously pitched for five teams: the Mariners, Royals, Diamondbacks, Tigers, and Yankees. Over 115 2/3 big-league innings, he owns a 4.67 ERA with a 22.8% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate. With a fastball averaging around 91.6 mph, a cutter in the high 80s, and a looping curveball, he’s relied more on sequencing and location than overpowering stuff.
The Twins didn’t turn to their newest reliever immediately, but against a Cubs lineup with three high-powered left-handed bats, that could change Thursday.
“The Mis, he’s been doing a good job for us. He’s been throwing the ball well. He gives us another really good left-handed option,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Our pitching group has been very excited about him going all the way back to spring training. We think he has real weapons. It’ll be good to give him a run and see what he can do. There’s some left-handed runs we’re facing in this lineup right now. Could be a good opportunity to get him right out there.”
Like Wentz, Misiewicz is also out of options, so he’ll need to perform if he hopes to stick on the big-league roster. That’s probably why the team waited so long to promote him, even if they truly are enthusiastic about his stuff. He has three years of MLB service time, meaning the Twins could retain him beyond this season, but that will depend on how well he holds up in the big leagues.
As the trade deadline approaches and the Twins keep looking for consistent arms to support their late-inning crew, Misiewicz could get a real opportunity to carve out a role, but he’ll need to prove himself quickly.