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With just two relievers penciled in for Opening Day, the Minnesota Twins face a familiar offseason challenge: how do you rebuild a bullpen on a budget?
Following Minnesota outrighting veteran relievers Michael Tonkin, Thomas Hatch, Génesis Cabrera, and Anthony Misiewicz off the 40-man roster, declining Justin Topa’s $2 million team option, and losing Cody Laweryson off waivers to the Los Angeles Angels, only two relievers can be penciled in as anticipated members of the club’s Opening Day bullpen: Cole Sands and Kody Funderburk.
Young, inexperienced right-handed arms Travis Adams, Pierson Ohl, and Marco Raya are strong candidates to inherit three of the open spots entering next season. Still, with the bullpen thin on depth and experience, Twins decision-makers will need to acquire multiple veterans to fill out the eight-pitcher unit. What veterans could they bring in to help bolster first-time bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins’s group? Let’s take a look.
Tyler Kinley
Selected with the 13th pick of the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, Kinley pitched 3 â…“ innings over four games for the 2018 Minnesota Twins, generating an uninspiring 24.30 ERA and 12.15 FIP over that stretch. Unsurprisingly, the then-27-year-old was returned to the Miami Marlins, where he spent one-and-a-half seasons before being traded to the Colorado Rockies. Given his home ballpark and the overall ineptitude of the organization he pitched for, the hard-tossing righty surprisingly mustered moderate success during his time in Denver, generating a 5.05 ERA, 4.26 FIP, and a 261-to-110 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 246 innings pitched over five seasons.
The now 34-year-old was rewarded for his services by being traded to the Atlanta Braves during the 2025 trade deadline, where he generated an eye-popping 0.72 ERA, 2.74 FIP, and a 17% K-BB rate over 25 innings pitched. Atlanta declined Kinley’s $5.5 million team option earlier this month, making the wily veteran a free agent this winter.
Throwing his plus slider 64% of the time while using his four-seam fastball as his primary secondary pitch (a combination Twins decision-makers often seek out in relievers), Kinley excelled with Atlanta last season by suppressing hard contact and missing bats. The former Twin likely won’t pitch like one of the best relievers in baseball next season as he did with Atlanta in 2025, yet he should be able to immediately insert himself as a high-leverage right-handed arm at a price tag hovering around $2-3 million. Given how thin Minnesota’s bullpen is currently constructed, Kinley would be the favorite to receive the bulk of save opportunities if he returned to the Twins.
Hoby Milner
Signed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract by the Texas Rangers last December, Milner performed admirably for the playoff-missing Rangers, posting a 3.84 ERA, 3.81 FIP, and a 58-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 70 â…“ innings pitched. Interestingly, Minnesota was in on Milner before he signed with Texas last offseason, signaling that the Twins could again pursue the soft-tossing lefty this winter.
As noted earlier, fellow southpaw Funderburk is slated to be part of Minnesota’s Opening Day bullpen, meaning Milner would be the club’s second left-handed option. Traditionally, Twins decision-makers have shied away from carrying two lefties in the bullpen, yet given Milner’s strong performance last season, the club would be pursuing the 34-year-old based on skill rather than handedness.
Milner, like Kinley, would immediately step in as one of Minnesota’s most experienced relievers, likely receiving high-leverage opportunities early next season. Sporting a sweeper-sinker mix, the former Brewer is more effective against same-handed hitters, evidenced by allowing a .224 wOBA to left-handed hitters compared to a .353 wOBA to right-handed hitters in 2025. Still, the established veteran can hold his own against hitters from either side while generating a high number of ground balls, an archetype the current bullpen is missing. Milner should net another one-year deal in the $2-3 million range, a price tag even the salary-restricted Twins could afford.
Shawn Armstrong
Speaking of relievers who pitched for the 2025 Rangers, the final reliever on this list is Armstrong. Sporting three fastball variations (four-seam, sinker, and cutter) and a near-elite sweeper, Armstrong pitched like one of the AL’s most effective late-inning arms in 2025, recording a 2.31 ERA, 3.07 FIP, and a 74-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 74 innings pitched for Texas. The now-35-year-old broke out with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023, generating a 1.38 ERA over 52 innings pitched. Yet, his 2025 campaign, where he also netted nine saves, was arguably his most impressive.
Given his strong performance last season, the veteran will be one of the more expensive relievers on the market, likely commanding a one-to-two-year deal worth $5-6 million annually. That being the case, he is the least likely of the listed candidates for Minnesota to pursue this offseason. Still, if Twins decision-makers were to take a modest, high-upside swing in the free-agent reliever market this winter, Armstrong is the most plausible candidate for them to invest in.
If signed, Armstrong would step in as the club’s closer heading into 2026, potentially serving as a mentor for the aforementioned inexperienced right-handers Adams, Ohl, and Raya. Also, if Minnesota falls out of contention come the 2026 trade deadline, the front office could trade Armstrong, netting a return package similar to what they received for Brock Stewart or Danny Coulombe last July. Regardless, Minnesota needs to address the bullpen in some capacity this offseason. Signing elite late-inning arms like Edwin DÃaz or Robert Suarez is an unrealistic proposition given the club’s current self-imposed spending limitations. Yet, there is reason to believe the front office could unearth strong value in veteran arms like Kinley, Milner, Armstrong, or others.
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