Twins Among Teams Interested In Nick Anderson

Right-hander Nick Anderson is garnering interest from multiple teams, according to a report from Ari Alexander of KPRC2. Alexander adds that Anderson is scheduled to hold a workout for at least ten teams on January 23. Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson of KSTP 5 reports that the Twins will be among the teams in attendance for Anderson’s workout.

Anderson, 35, made his MLB debut with the Marlins back in 2019 but was traded to the Rays shortly thereafter. Upon arriving in Tampa, Anderson’s career started to take off as he posted a sterling 1.85 ERA in 43 2/3 innings of work with a 2.42 FIP and an eye-popping 42.5% strikeout rate. Unfortunately, those fantastic rate stats came in just 43 2/3 innings of work across the 2019, ’20, and ’21 seasons. Elbow issues limited him to just six innings in 2021 and kept him from pitching at the big league level in 2022, leading the Rays to cut him loose.

Since then, he’s pitched for the Braves and Royals at the big league level. His time in Atlanta went fairly well; while his 25.5% strikeout rate was clearly a step back from his peak years in Tampa, he nonetheless managed a 3.06 ERA and 3.09 FIP in 35 1/3 innings of work. Anderson’s stop in Kansas City, however, was not quite as strong. The right-hander’s strikeout rate dipped to just 19% while his walk rate crept up to 9.8% after sitting at a much stronger 6.4% the year prior. While Anderson posted the best hard-hit and barrel rates of his career with the Royals, the on-field results just weren’t there and he was cut from the roster back in July after posting a 4.04 ERA and 5.07 FIP in 35 2/3 innings of work.

Since parting ways with the Royals, Anderson briefly pitched in both the Dodgers and Orioles organizations on minor league deals but did not make it to the big league level. He ended the season on the minor league injured list, though early in the offseason Baltimore expressed at least some level of interest in reuniting with Anderson this winter. It’s unclear whether or not such a reunion would come on a minor league deal, however, as Alexander has indicated that clubs have expressed interest in Anderson on a one-year deal, implying he should be able to land a major league contract.

As for the Twins, Anderson could certainly make some sense for the club. After a down season in 2024 and given his checkered injury history, the right-hander isn’t likely to secure a massive guarantee on the free agent market at this point. That’s surely good news for Minnesota, as the club is in a position where they appear more likely to cut payroll than add significant salary. The Twins’ bullpen was decent in 2024, with a 3.65 FIP that actually ranked fifth in baseball, but their actual run prevention left something to be desired as their 4.12 ERA ranked 19th in the majors. The only major contributor to last year’s bullpen the club has parted ways with so far is southpaw Caleb Thielbar, but reinforcing the bullpen is rarely a bad idea and bringing Anderson into the fold could deepen the club’s bullpen and allow them to utilize middle relief options like Justin Topa and Jorge Alcalá more judiciously.