The Twins have selected the contract of infielder Drew Maggi, the team announced. Maggi will replace Rob Refsnyder on the active roster, as Refsnyder is headed to the 10-day injured list with a right elbow impingement. Taylor Rogers was shifted to the 60-day IL to create space on the 40-man roster.
The transaction represents the culmination of a long journey for Maggi, who is now set to make his Major League debut after 11 minor league seasons. A 15th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2010 draft, Maggi has kept hustling through 4077 minor league plate appearances (in the Pirates, Dodgers, Indians, and Twins farm systems) before finally reaching the Show at age 32.
Maggi has hit .259/.353/.356 during his minor league career, and has enjoyed a particularly strong campaign (.261/.364/.486 with 16 homers in 332 PA) at Triple-A St. Paul in 2021. A versatile player, Maggi has played mostly as a shortstop, second baseman, and third baseman over his career, but also spent time at first base and in both corner outfield positions.
Given the timing of his injury, Refsnyder might not be able to return before the 2021 season is over. The veteran utilityman hit .245/.325/.338 over 157 PA this season, appearing in 51 games with Minnesota after signing a minor league deal last winter.
Baseball fan, and glad to see a career grinder like Maggi finally get a chance to make his MLB debut at 32, after a decade long minors+ career. I hope he does well, and fulfills his life long dream.
He’ll be DFA’ed in a few days
Yet receive free health care for life.
Incorrect you need 43 days MLB service time to get that
Incorrect.
A player needs a single game of service time (he doesn’t have to play) to have access to gold-standard lifetime healthcare coverage. You’re confusing healthcare coverage and pensions. Two separate items.
It takes 43 days in the big leagues for MLB’s pension to vest, with the lowest yearly payout starting at $34,000. It keeps increasing from there, maxing out at $185,000 a year at 10 seasons.
Healthcare is entirely different, with but a single day on the active roster providing players with comprehensive, lifetime medical benefits.
So, yes, it is an important day for Maggi, both personally, professionally, and for being granted lifetime healthcare coverage for himself and family.
You’re welcome.
In essence, a gift for the Maggi!
Hope the elbow doesn’t keep Rob out of the HOF.
Yankees traded Refsynder for McBroom then never gave him a shot and traded him for cash to the Royals. Seems the best GM baseball has ever known was more interested giving Greg Bird every chance to be the 1st baseman of the future.
With a hugely disappointing and underachieving year,
the Twins now pin their hopes of regaining some kind of return to normalcy and saving the jobs of BOTH Manager and Coaches (ESPECIALLY the HITTING COACH) on benefiting from the debut of an aged career Minor League journeyman utility player
and thus receiving:
” The Gift of the Maggi” (with apologies to O. Henry)
Glad to see someone made a Magi joke.. i was going to if someone hadnt…
Fun fact: Refsnyder won the 2012 College World Series, as a member of the Arizona Wildcats, with Drew’s younger brother Joe as a teammate. While Refsnyder obtained CWS MVP honors, his parents needed police protection following attacks from the South Carolina Gamecocks fanbase, who had been hurling racist slurs at their Korean-born son during and after the game incessantly. One of many low moments put on display by SEC fans.
Joe selecting Arizona over his brother’s alma mater, Arizona State, apparently led to some animosities within the Maggi family at the time.
With regard to SEC fans, rednecks gonna redneck…