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Minnesota Twins Sign Veteran Lefty to Battle for Bullpen Role
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- Minnesota Twins Sign Veteran Lefty to Battle for Bullpen Role
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Twins' hot stove tends to heat up when the temperatures fall in late January. But with an impending sale of the team expected by Opening Day, it has limited president Derek Falvey's ability to pursue free agents and negotiate trades.
Twins' brass scraping the bottom of bargain barrel
The salary situation resulting from the Twins' lack of television revenue has also limited Falvey's ability to do his job. Scraping the bottom of the bargain bin has long been a tactic at which the Twins have excelled.
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Related: Minnesota Twins Trying to Trade Willi Castro
Their top trade candidate last seaso n – Willi Castro – was invited to Spring Training on a minor league contract. Now he's an integral utility player almost too valuable to trade because of his ability to play center field when Byron Buxton is hurt.
Minnesota Twins address lack of veteran lefty relievers
The Twins' brass is attempting to repeat that success by signing veteran lefty reliever Anthony Misiewicz. Misiewicz had strong strikeout (29 percent) and walk (7.6 percent) rates last season with AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but is a lefty specialist at most.
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Right-handers hit .279 off Misiewicz last season, while lefties hit .207. Seven of his eight homers allowed were hit by righties. It's a welcomed addition to a Minnesota Twins bullpen featuring just two left-handers in Kody Funderburk and Brent Headrick. And Headrick pitched just three innings in the bigs last season.
What to expect from Anthony Misiewicz
Minnesota is banking on Misiewicz, 30, pushing the younger Kody Funderburk, 27, and Brent Headrick, 28, in camp. The competition and added depth should help cover the innings left by the loss of Caleb Thielbar, to free agency.
Thielbar signed with the Chicago Cubs after pitching to an ERA+ of 78 in 47.1 innings pitched last season. It was his worst year as a Minnesota Twin by far.
