As the 2025 MLB trade deadline approaches, the Minnesota Twins continue to tinker around the edges of their roster. On Tuesday, the club quietly acquired right-handed pitcher Noah Davis from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations. Davis, 27, was designated for assignment by the Dodgers after a historically rough outing, but the Twins see enough in his underlying numbers to take a flier.
With an open 40-man roster spot and no need for a corresponding move, the Twins have optioned Davis to Triple-A St. Paul, where he’ll join a bullpen mix that has seen plenty of turnover this summer.
A Forgettable Fourth
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Davis’s last appearance in the majors was the stuff of nightmares. On July 4, he entered a lopsided game against Houston in the fifth inning and recorded one out to close the frame. But when he returned for the sixth, things spiraled out of control. Davis allowed 10 earned runs on six hits, three walks, and a hit batter in just 1 1/3 innings. The exclamation point came via a grand slam before he could record the inning’s first out.
The meltdown ballooned his season ERA to 19.50 and earned him a swift demotion, followed by a DFA. It’s the kind of performance that might end a pitcher’s season (or even career), but the Twins are banking on the idea that there’s more under the surface.
Finding a New Gear in Triple-A
While Davis’s big-league ERA is unsightly, his minor-league track record in 2025 paints a different picture. In 32 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City, he’s posted a 3.94 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate and a 48.1% groundball rate. His walk rate (10.9%) has crept up, but the whiff and groundball numbers are intriguing.
Throughout the 2025 season, the Dodgers have transitioned Davis into more of a full-time relief role. He’s long been a starter in the minors, but shorter outings have allowed him to lean into a more aggressive pitch mix.
Pitch Arsenal Breakdown
According to Baseball Savant, Davis primarily relies on a three-pitch mix. He has thrown nine four-seamers and four screwballs this year, but they aren’t part of his primary usage:
Sweeper (80 mph, 41% usage): His most-used pitch has held batters to a .187 xBA and a .387 xSLG. He gets a lot of swings and misses with this pitch (50.0 Whiff%), which is one of the reasons he has increased its usage this season.
Sinker (94.5 mph, 35.1% usage): This was his most-used pitch in 2024, but he’s cut back as he’s increased his sweeper usage. He’s capable of reaching the upper 90s with it in shorter stints. It has the highest Put Away% of any of his offerings (36.4%), but gets hit hard, with an .800 opponent SLG (.649 xSLG).
Cutter (88.5 mph, 14.2% usage): His expected numbers on his cutter are nearly perfect, with a .066 xBA and a .096 xSLG. Last season, he threw this pitch over 20% of the time, so it might be an offering the Twins want him to use more regularly.
It sure looks like Davis needs to reimagine his arsenal with the cutter in a more prominent role. So far, though, he’s been unable to get away from relying on the sinker.
A Low-Risk Addition With Upside
For the Twins, Davis checks a few key boxes:
Optionable for the rest of 2025: He adds depth without clogging the 26-man roster.
Groundball profile: Relievers need to get strikeouts, but the Twins could use him in a long relief role similar to Travis Adams. Some of his expected numbers are better than his overall performance this season.
Developmental upside: The Twins can stash him at Triple-A and see if he can benefit from mechanical and approach tweaks after joining the organization. There seems to be some more swing and miss to be unlocked in his pitch mix.
With rumors swirling about the team considering trades for Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Danny Coulombe, the addition of Davis may serve as insurance in case the team reshuffles the bullpen ahead of the deadline. He won’t be the centerpiece of any postseason plans, but he could become a useful shuttle arm or even a surprise contributor down the stretch.
Davis likely isn’t the kind of name that moves the needle for Twins fans, especially coming off a headline-grabbing disaster in his last MLB appearance. But Minnesota saw something in his underlying metrics and pitch mix that made him worth a look.
Given the minimal cost and remaining team control, it’s a worthwhile gamble for a team that has to think creatively when building pitching depth. If the Twins can help Davis harness his stuff, he might be more than just a footnote in a busy July.
What do you think of the Twins taking a chance on Davis? Can Minnesota’s coaching staff unlock his potential? Share your thoughts in the comments below.