The Twins will add southpaw Craig Breslow to their 40-man roster, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (via Twitter). The veteran had an opt-out opportunity last night.
Evidently, Minnesota saw enough from Breslow — and his revamped delivery — to make the move, all but ensuring he’ll break camp on the active roster. Breslow will stand to earn $1.25MM on the year — with $1MM more in available incentives — under the minor-league deal he signed in early February.
After showcasing a new approach over the offseason, the 36-year-old drew some interest from organizations that hoped he might stage a late-career renaissance. Long a quality reliever, he had struggled to a 4.93 ERA over the past three seasons.
He has responded thus far with six innings of 1.50 ERA ball this spring, allowing just three hits but also seven walks against his five strikeouts. There are obviously still some kinks to work out, but Minnesota’s new front office clearly thinks there’s enough promise — and enough value in Breslow’s clubhouse presence — to give him another crack at the majors.
Not much of a surprise.
Smart move overall to sign the smartest guy in the big leagues.