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Minnesota Twins Could Add Underrated Pitcher in Free Agency to Help Bullpen
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- Minnesota Twins Could Add Underrated Pitcher in Free Agency to Help Bullpen
(Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)
The Minnesota Twins finished 2026 with one of the worst bullpens in baseball and a clear need to add reliable relief arms this offseason. Left-handed reliever Brock Burke is heading into free agency after one of the best seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Reds.
Burke appeared in 77 games for Cincinnati, leading the National League in appearances. He posted a 2.30 ERA across 74 1/3 innings, struck out 74 batters and limited opponents to a .202 batting average.
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He allowed one hit or fewer in the majority of his outings and finished with 52 scoreless appearances. Manager Terry Francona used him in save situations, tie games and high-leverage spots throughout the order. He is a lefty who can retire right-handed hitters consistently.
Minnesota's bullpen posted a 4.74 ERA and a 1.486 WHIP in 2026, ranking 26th in all of baseball. The unit blew 21 saves.
Yoendrys Gomez handled the closer role with 21 saves, but the set-up options in front of him were inconsistent all year. The Twins added AJ Minter at the trade deadline as a left-handed option, but one arm was not enough to fix a unit this broken.
Adding Burke would give Minnesota a proven, high-volume lefty to pair with Minter if they are able to re-sign him too. However, signing both may not be feasible.
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Burke has had an interesting career so far. He was a third-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014. However, he would eventually make his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers in 2019. He stuck around long enough to win a World Series ring with the team in 2023.
He has dealt with some injury issues, missing the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. He also had another setback in 2024 when he broke his right hand. Through all of it, he has posted a 3.53 career ERA. His 2025 season with the Los Angeles Angels, a 3.36 ERA in 69 appearances, showed the 2026 breakout was not coming out of nowhere.
The 40 walks he issued are worth watching. His 3.76 FIP was higher than his ERA. His command is a real concern, and any team signing him needs to account for that.
No connection between Burke and Minnesota has been reported. But the Twins need durable left-handed relief help, and Burke is one of the best available options on the market. For a bullpen that ranked near the bottom of baseball in ERA, adding an arm of his caliber would be a step in the right direction.
