Minnesota Twins spring training will be fully underway in just two weeks, when their first full team workout takes place on Feb. 16. Pitchers and catchers report four days earlier on Feb. 12. Still, there’s a chance they sign another free agent reliever between now and then.
The Twins still have an open spot on the 40-man roster following their trade with the Colorado Rockies that sent Edouard Julien and Pierson Ohl into higher altitudes. While almost all of the best relievers who have high-leverage experience and are closer to 30 are off the market, there are still a few names the Twins could pursue to help bolster their bullpen before Opening Day.
Minnesota beat up Kopech when he toed the mound for the Chicago White Sox from 2018 to 2024. He owns a 4.54 ERA against the Twins and has allowed six home runs in 33 ⅔ innings, so it might be a nice change for him to pitch for a team he’s struggled against.
Kopech has stayed on the market this long because of a series of injuries in 2025, from a forearm injury in spring training to a shoulder injury early in the season. Kopech ended his 2025 season on the IL with right knee inflammation in September, causing him to miss the entirety of the Dodgers World Series run in October.
But what makes Kopech enticing this late in the off-season is how well he performed when healthy in 2025. He pitched to a 2.45 ERA and held hitters to a .150 opponents’ average in 11 innings. The downside, though, was walking more batters (13) than he was striking them out (12).
Even with command issues, he still averages 97.5 MPH on the fastball, which is something the Twins need in their bullpen. Among Minnesota’s relievers, Cole Sands currently has the highest average fastball velo at 94.8 MPH.
Injury history has kept Kopech on the market this late. Still, with Minnesota’s needs in their bullpen, they should be able to pursue him on a cheap deal to rebound from an injury-riddled 2025.
The best days of Hendriks’ career may be behind him, and he is coming off a right elbow ulnar nerve transposition in September 2025. The surgery can take anywhere from three to six months to recover from.
Hendriks didn’t pitch well in his limited 14 appearances with the Red Sox in 2025. He had a 6.59 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 12 hits allowed, seven walks, and 12 strikeouts over 13 ⅔ innings.
With Hendriks coming off another big elbow surgery and poor performance when healthy, it may seem like Hendriks, 36, is closer to retirement rather than continuing to go for another season. However, the Twins need veteran leadership from former all-stars in their bullpen. Hendriks would fit that role well for a growing Twins bullpen.
Hendriks was still hitting 94.9 MPH before his latest surgery, so he still has velocity. Still, it’s unclear how the ulnar nerve transposition will impact his arm this year. It would be fitting for the Twins to bring Hendriks back to where his career started 15 years ago. With the limited options left in free agency, Hendriks is one worth pursuing.
Barlow has been on the decline the last few seasons, going from all-star caliber numbers with a 2.18 ERA, 24 saves, 0.99 WHIP, and a 188 ERA+Â for the Kansas City Royals in 2022, to a run-of-the-mill reliever with a 4.21 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 109 ERA+ for the Cincinnati Reds in 2025.
Barlow’s last three seasons have been just about average, with an ERA+ of 102. While he’s never been a flamethrowing pitcher, his fastball velo has declined from 93.6 MPH in 2022 to 92.4 in 2025. Still, Barlow has served in high-leverage roles in the past, and the Twins need any pitchers who can generate outs as they can find to fill in the back end of their bullpen.
At this point in his career, Barlow is in the same relief category as Justin Topa or Taylor Rogers. Still, that shouldn’t disqualify any of these relievers from the roles they can serve in 2026. Barlow has a 4.28 ERA in 201 relief appearances over his last three seasons. Still, he has strong strikeout and walk numbers with a 26.3% strikeout rate and 13% walk rate.
With so few names left on the market, Barlow is the type of reliever the Twins should sign before another team pursues him.