The Twins announced they’ve granted releases to infielder Gio Urshela and reliever Andrew Chafin. Both players were in camp on minor league deals and had been informed they wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster. Minnesota also granted Liam Hendriks his release from a minor league contract this morning.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted this week, Chafin and Hendriks were among more than two dozen veteran players whose deals contained an automatic opt-out opportunity under the collective bargaining agreement. Infielder Orlando Arcia also fits that bill. Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that Arcia decided not to trigger the out. Urshela didn’t have an automatic opt-out under the CBA, but Hayes suggests his camp negotiated one into his deal.
Urshela was an above-average everyday player for the Twins back in 2022. He hasn’t had the same level of success since Minnesota traded him to the Angels at the end of that season. Urshela suffered a pelvic fracture in ’23 and has been a light-hitting utility player over the past two years. He returned to the Twins on an offseason minor league contract but hit only .208 with one extra-base knock (a double) in 24 at-bats.
Chafin, a 35-year-old southpaw, pitched six innings of two-run ball. He struck out five while walking three. Statcast had Chafin’s average fastball in the 86 mph range, four ticks below last year’s regular season mark. It’s common for pitchers to work with diminished velocity early in camp as they build arm strength, but it’s hardly a surprise the Twins opted not to carry him in the Opening Day bullpen. Lefties Taylor Rogers, Kody Funderburk and Anthony Banda are all likely to begin the year in Derek Shelton’s relief corps.
Releasing Hendriks and Chafin the same day makes me sick to my stomach. This 2026 Twins’ bullpen is going to be historically bad.
Even though he’s going gray, Andrew Chafin is a lights out lefty. Some team’s going to pick him up, aren’t they?
I think that was going to be inevitable with or without these washed up guys. Chafin’s fastball only 86 mph… he’d get hammered. Hendriks hasn’t been a quality pitcher for years, his last decent season was 2022. Face it, these guys are old in baseball years and at the end of their road.
Chafin gets guys out. This league cares about velocity. It should care about getting guys out.
Agreed. Too much focus on velocity and spin rates and not enough on how effective the pitcher actually has been.
yep he’ll be back and better than anyoninthe atwind bullpen other than Banda.
Garland would sure look good in this bunch of crap, except Banda.
Varland
Chafin rocks…even just for the stache and the inyerviews. Let’s go Tigers minor league deal so he can play close to home and fill in through the year when needed!
And he sleeps in his truck to economize
I would assume Arcia will make the opening day roster and probably Dan Altavilla and/or Matt Bowman.
Dan was actually pretty solid in Chicago. Got a few saves with a sub 3 ERA and in 30 games. Question is can he do it for a whole season?
Boneheaded moves
lol. why?
Because the others, other than , Banda are washed up. Next think you know Funder burk will be the closer. Garland could have been but the love collecting lefty hitting outfielders. hope the other dude works out.
No chance they give a pre arb guy like Fundy saves! Can’t be raising his arbitration salaries
I can see Chafin catching on with another team. He still got some left in the tank.
Not with an 86 mph fastball he doesn’t. That’s why they dumped him.
That’s where his fastball is every year in camp in March. He’ll be at 90 come May.
I’m not shocked Hendriks and Chafin are cooked, I’m shocked that the twins thought these guys would round out the bullpen with very few backup options.
There’s not a single closer/setup quality guy on this roster at the moment
Someone will be Chafin to sign him.
Chafin is what happens when you go commando in jorts without a change of clothes between the cookout and evening attire
Really surprised at both of these. Urshela is a serviceable player and great clubhouse guy, while Chafin is an experienced, veteran reliever with (minimal) closing experience. Both will 100% be locked up.
Love Anthony Banda on that relief corps. Dodgers turned him from a waiver-claim journeyman to a decent back-end lefty.
Funderburk is putrid
better than chafin
A whip north of 1.5 begs to differ.
Urshela and Arcia have similar numbers so i wonder if Arcia makes the team or if he gets cut next.
If the LOOGY still existed in MLB the Twins might have kept Chafin. Even with an 86 MPH fastball he probably could have survived facing only lefty hitters. RH hitters will feast on that all day
Angels need to bring chafin back if Stephenson is done.
Stephenson is done. I wouldn’t mind Chafin coming back. Its not as if there’s always some need for a bullpen arm and he wasn’t terrible for the Angels last season.
@kellin. I think chafin is picky on his locations. He should always be signed, but i think he just waits it out knowing something will come up. Heard he’s a east coast guy.
they should’ve brought him back in the first place
Chafin will get picked up because he’s a lefty and has had success
Angels should resign Chafin
Nats should resign Chafin.
The time for calling it a career has now come, Gio. You had a fine one. You represented your country and your city at the highest level.
Coaching should be an easy transition. For sure you are a heck of a character and that would make you a great teacher.
Wait the Twins hired the Pirates terrible coach?
Lol