11:55AM: Chafin will earn $2MM if he makes the Twins’ active roster, according to SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson. Chafin’s contract also has another $1.25MM available in bonus money.
7:05AM: The Twins signed left-hander Andrew Chafin to a minor league deal, according to multiple team beat writers. Chafin’s contract includes an invitation to attend Minnesota’s big league Spring Training camp.
As Chafin prepares for his 13th Major League season, the Twins will become the ninth team the southpaw has pitched for at the MLB level if Chafin can win a spot on the active roster. The 35-year-old added two more clubs to his list by appearing for the Nationals and Angels in 2025, posting a 2.41 ERA and a solid 25.2% strikeout rate over 33 2/3 innings, but also with a 13.3% walk rate.
Between the inflated walk rate and an 81.9% strand rate, Chafin’s SIERA was 4.11 — far higher than his real-world ERA. Most of his other underlying metrics were quite good, though Chafin’s biggest issue last season was staying healthy. He had a pair of stints on the injured list due to a right hamstring strain and then left triceps inflammation, resulting in a little over five weeks’ worth of missed time.
This is the second straight winter that Chafin has had to settle for a minor league deal, as he also inked a non-guaranteed contract with the Tigers last February. He opted out of that deal at the end of April and quickly landed a MLB contract with Washington, then pitched in 26 games for the Nats before the Angels acquired Chafin at the trade deadline.
Chafin’s lack of control continues to be a concern and his strikeout rate dropped from 28.5% in 2024, though his other numbers suggest he still has something left in the tank even at this later stage in his career. Chafin is the latest relief addition for a Twins team that has brought Taylor Rogers, Anthony Banda, and Eric Orze into the fold, not to mention a long list of NRIs with experience on big league pitching staffs. Rogers, Banda, and Kody Funderburk are all left-handers, so Chafin provides some more depth in that area as well.
This guy gets no respect
If he doesn’t make the Twinkies, I’ll be surprised.
He is awesome. Lives in his RV and rocks the stache!
Down by the river?
No, not in Pittsburgh, its Minnesota 😉
Chafin is consistently good. Even at his age.
bro come on. He did great last year how in the hell is this a minor league deal!
Twins loading up on veteran LHRP for the Saints lol
How does he not get some kind of guaranteed contract, crazy disrespect
Respect has nothing to do with it. This was either the best offer he received, or he declined better ones for reasons known only to him. There is no great conspiracy and collusion against the likes of Andrew Chafin. He’s just not that valuable.
@enjoy. I think he’s waits for his preferred city and state. He’s been doing this the last 3-4 years. Doesn’t care about signing a minor league deal if it fits.
Age. Extreme luck past year.
As a Tigers fan I heard them mention once he was from Ohio and was trying to play for a team closer to home. Maybe he held out longer this year hoping for that deal closer to home again. I always liked him when he pitched for my Detroit Tigers.
There’s a new sheriff in town!
Hopefully he has more than one bullet. 😁
He’s great! Really enjoyed him on the Nats.
Yes, that’s why I hoped that we could have sign him again.
I would have loved for the Tigers to bring him back.
You are telling me this guy couldn’t get a major league contract? And Michael “BUM” soroka gets between 7-9.5 million to be legit the WORST starter in the league. Chafin is undervalued and underrated his agent legit BLOWS!!
“You don’t need a million dollars to do nothing, man. Take a look at my cousin: he’s broke, don’t do sht”
Fascinating to me, how personal you guys take this. Just because he’s a funny looking guy and a bit of a character. If his name was Juan Gomez and he lived in a house I’m sure you wouldn’t be frothing at the mouth.
Starters are more valuable, ya know. And Chafin has that t-shirt that says Failed Starter, lol.
@balls. Chafin does this every year, I dont think he cares about the money or if it’s a minor league deal he waits for the city that he prefers. The only thing about Minnesota is that he will be traded.
Minnesota just got a little more mustachioed…
That there’s an RV, Clark
This guys been pretty effective wherever he’s been. I wish the Cubs would have given him another shot. He can roll out of bed after a bender with eyes half closed and still be effective.
This twins bullpen rebuild is looking like an episode of Macgyver – or MacGruber, actually.
Sleeping in his Chevy van again. If the vans a rockin…
I wished that Nats could have sign him back.
Nice pickup for sure since Randy Dobnak got traded we needed a new mustache man.
These are the type of guys I fill my bullpen up with and let them fight it out in spring. Veteran relievers with a solid past record that know how to get guys out in clutch situations.
I always like equal eighties and lefties too.
Wish the White Sox would’ve been in on him. They have a much better pen this year, but there are still question marks, while Chafin has quietly been solid since 2020, with the exception of 2023.
The Sheriff aka “Lil Rod Beck” on the move again.
Toronto bullpen needed a experienced hight leaverage lefthanded to support Little but again the brilliant Adkins who is one of the worst GMs says No thanks. Chafin would have helped.
@canada. I think he only wants to sign in certain areas, because the last 3-4 years has been the same story. Would’ve liked the angels to bring him back. Just dont think he was interested.
Wally Walrus in the flesh.
Chafin’s a hoot. Not sure if he has anything left, but he’s a lefty and is not a threat to team chemistry.
Surprised he couldn’t get a MLB deal.
When Chafin was with the Dbacks, it seemed like he was always brought into games with runners on, which he would allow to score, and he would fail to get an out before getting pulled. This kept his ERA artificially low while jacking up other pitchers’ numbers. (Aka to “Pull a Chafin.”)