Twins Trim Roster While Bullpen Moves Linger

{ "articleTitle": "Twins Trim Roster: Banda, Sabato Out; Bullpen Moves Linger", "articleDescription": "The Minnesota Twins have removed Anthony Banda, Aaron Sabato, and Tristan Gray from their 40-man roster as they begin offseason cleanup. With Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan returning to the rotation, bullpen decisions remain a priority for the front office.", "articleBody": "

Departures Mark Start of Roster Cleanup

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The Minnesota Twins initiated their offseason roster adjustments by removing left-handed reliever Anthony Banda and infielders Aaron Sabato and Tristan Gray from the 40-man roster. The three players are now free agents.

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Banda’s departure follows a season marked by injury and performance struggles. He suffered a left lat strain that required surgery on July 9, an injury that kept him out for the remainder of the 2026 season. In the games he did play, Banda finished with a 5.03 expected fielding-independent pitching (xFIP), which was the worst mark among all relievers who recorded at least 30 innings.

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The removal of the infielders appears to be a straightforward evaluation of their limited impact on the major league club. Gray, 30, finished the season with a -0.7 base-running wins above replacement (bWAR) in 66 games. He hit four home runs and drove in 29 runs during his time with the team.

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Sabato had minimal playing time at the major league level, recording only six at-bats. He went 0-for-6 with three strikeouts during that span.

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Rotation Returns Create Bullpen Vacancies

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The Twins’ roster moves come as the team prepares for structural changes in their pitching staff. Pitchers Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan are projected to return to the starting rotation at the start of next season. This shift will result in starters moving to the bullpen, creating vacancies that need to be filled.

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Banda’s exit opens another spot in the relief corps. The team now faces decisions regarding which arms to retain among its free agents and whether to seek external additions to stabilize the late-inning roles.

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Current Bullpen Performance Metrics

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Minnesota’s bullpen showed mixed results last season, with several pitchers posting significant statistical variance. Rogers led the group with 65 relief appearances. He posted a 4.33 earned run average (ERA) and a 5.18 xFIP, which was the second-highest in the group behind Banda.

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Despite the high ERA, Rogers demonstrated specific strengths in contact management. He finished in the 98th percentile in hard-hit percentage. Additionally, he improved his ability to prevent inherited runners from scoring, reducing his inherited runners scored percentage from 56.2% in 2025 to 29.7% in 2026.

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Against left-handed hitters, Rogers allowed the second-lowest weighted on-base average (wOBA) in 110 matchups. Only A.J. Minter posted a lower wOBA against left-handed batters during that sample.

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Minter, who arrived at the trade deadline, appeared in 25 games for Minnesota. He finished with a 2.78 ERA over 22 ⅔ innings pitched.

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External Options Under Consideration

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With internal options