Gio Urshela Announces Retirement
Infielder Gio Urshela has announced his retirement as a player in a post on his Instagram page. In the post, he thanks the people who contributed to his career, including his family, friends, fans, baseball organizations, coaches, the people of Colombia and more.
Urshela, now 34, was signed by Cleveland back in 2008. An international amateur out of Colombia, he secured a signing bonus of $300K. He quickly developed a reputation as a plus defender at third base while also dabbling at the other infield positions. His bat was a bit more questionable. He didn’t strike out much in the minors but also didn’t draw many walks and it wasn’t clear how much thump he could produce with his contact approach.
He cracked the majors in 2015. His initial big league opportunities matched his profile. He could pick the ball at third and didn’t strike out a lot but also didn’t produce offensively. He was eventually designated for assignment in 2018 and flipped to the Blue Jays in a cash deal. The Jays put him on waivers later that year and the 29 other clubs all declined a chance to claim him. At that time, he had 499 major league plate appearances and a .225/.274/.315 line.
The Jays traded Urshela to the Yankees for cash late in 2018. He began the following season as non-roster depth for Miguel Andujar, who had just finished a solid rookie campaign, finishing second in American League Rookie of the Year voting behind Shohei Ohtani. Early in the 2019 campaign, Andujar suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder, an injury that would eventually require season-ending surgery. Though that was unfortunate for Andujar, it turned out to be the opportunity for Urshela to break out.
Urshela took over the third base job in the Bronx that year with a big step forward offensively. He hit 21 home runs and slashed .314/.355/.534 for a 132 wRC+. FanGraphs credited him with 3.1 wins above replacement. He may have hit his personal zenith that year with some help from external forces. His .349 batting average on balls in play was well above average. That was also the juiced-ball year, with home run records set all around the league.
Regardless, Urshela still proved to be a viable major league hitter in subsequent seasons. Over the shortened 2020 season and the 2021 campaign, he hit 20 homers in 159 games and slashed .275/.320/.438 for a 108 wRC+. He was credited with 2.4 fWAR for that span.
Going into 2022, Urshela was part of a big trade. He and catcher Gary Sánchez were flipped to the Twins for third baseman Josh Donaldson, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and catcher Ben Rortvedt. Urshela had a solid campaign in Minnesota, hitting 13 home runs and putting up a .285/.338/.429 line, translating to a 118 wRC+. FanGraphs put another 2.6 WAR on his ledger that year.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Urshela was traded to the Angels for pitching prospect Alejandro Hidalgo. That was unfortunately just before things started to turn sour for Urshela. He hit a respectable .299/.329/.374 for the Halos but went on the injured list in June due to a pelvic fracture. He didn’t require surgery but he missed the second half of that season and was never really able to get back on track after that.
He became a free agent and signed a $1.5MM deal with the Tigers going into 2024. He got into 92 games for Detroit but hit .243/.286/.333 for a wRC+ of 74. He was designated for assignment and released that August. He latched on with Atlanta and finished on a slightly higher note, slashing .265/.287/.424 in 36 games.
That strong finish was enough to get him a $2.15MM deal with the Athletics for 2025. He hit .238/.287/.326 in 59 games for the A’s before getting designated for assignment and released in August. He returned to the Twins on a minor league deal this past offseason. He hit .192/.250/.231 in spring training and was released at the end of camp.
Urshela finishes his career having played in 851 games with 3,028 plate appearances. He only walked in 5.9% of those but also limited his strikeouts to an 18.3% pace. He collected 759 hits, including 147 doubles, nine triples and 73 home runs. He scored 312 times, drove in 352 runs and stole seven bases. His career slash line finishes at .270/.314/.407. That leads to a subpar 97 wRC+ but is dragged down by his slow start and soft finish. From 2019 to 2022, he hit .290/.336/.463 for a 118 wRC+. Both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference credit him with about eight wins above replacement, mostly from that four-year peak. Baseball Reference pegs his career earnings over $25MM.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Urshela on a fine career and wish him the best for his post-playing days.
Photos courtesy of David Butler II, Jesse Johnson, Nick Wosika, Imagn Images
Twins’ John Brebbia Expected To Trigger Opt-Out Clause
Right-hander John Brebbia is exercising the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Twins, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP. Minnesota has until Wednesday to add Brebbia to the big-league club. If the team declines, the veteran reliever will head to free agency. Brebbia joins Triple-A St. Paul teammate Matt Bowman in triggering an opt-out on Sunday.
Brebbia was in camp with the Rockies, but was cut shortly before Opening Day. He latched on with the Twins a couple of days into the regular season. The 35-year-old righty split the 2025 campaign between the Tigers and Braves. He posted an identical 7.71 ERA with both teams. The well-traveled Brebbia has pitched for five MLB squads in his eight-year career.
While Bowman is pitching well with the Saints, Brebbia is off to a difficult start. He’s posted a 6.20 ERA across 20 1/3 innings this season. The reliever has a solid 28.3% strikeout rate, but a double-digit walk rate. Free passes haven’t typically been an issue for Brebbia, though those numbers have ticked up in recent years.
The Twins don’t have any available slots on the 40-man roster, which makes a Brebbia promotion tricky. There’s a chance he lands back with the club on a new minor league deal if Minnesota declines to call him up.
Brebbia posted a few respectable seasons in the Cardinals’ bullpen after debuting in 2017. He then signed with the Giants and delivered more of the same. The veteran tested free agency at the end of 2023. Brebbia earned a decent $5.5MM commitment from the White Sox heading into 2024, but was released in August. He bounced to the Braves, then the Tigers, and finally back to Atlanta to finish up last season.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
Twins’ Matt Bowman Exercises Opt-Out Clause
Right-hander Matt Bowman has triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Twins, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. Bowman can become a free agent if Minnesota doesn’t add him to the 26-man roster by Wednesday. Earlier this week, Darren Wolfson of KSTP and SKOR North reported on the opt-out clauses held by both Bowman and John Brebbia, and there isn’t yet any word on Brebbia’s decision.
This is the second time in two months that Bowman has used an opt-out clause, as he also opted out of his previous minors contract with Minnesota at the end of Spring Training. The Twins granted Bowman his release rather than a spot on the Opening Day roster, but Bowman returned to the organization on a new minor league deal shortly thereafter.
It is possible this scenario may repeat itself if the Twins again decide against selecting Bowman’s contract. Minnesota has a full 40-man roster, so the team would likely have to make multiple moves to accommodate Bowman on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters.
Working in Bowman’s favor this time around are a set of impressive Triple-A numbers — a 1.69 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate, and 6.7% walk rate over 21 1/3 innings in St. Paul. The 34-year-old is obviously pitching against much younger and less experienced batters in the minors, and Bowman has a 5.46 ERA in 59 1/3 innings in the majors over the 2023-25 seasons. That said, an argument can be made that the Twins might as well give Bowman a look considering that Minnesota’s bullpen has been one of the least-effective units in baseball.
Twins Option Matt Wallner
The Twins on Thursday optioned outfielder Matt Wallner and righty Travis Adams to Triple-A St. Paul. Utilityman Ryan Kreidler and right-hander Zebby Matthews were recalled in their place.
It’s the first time in more than two years that Wallner has been optioned. He’s been Minnesota’s Opening Day right fielder in each of the past two seasons and has handled the lion’s share of the playing time at the position along the way (though he’s frequently been platooned). Wallner has 70-grade power from the left side of the plate but strikes out far too frequently to take full advantage of it.
That hasn’t stopped him from being productive in the past. From 2023-25, Wallner turned in a hearty .231/.345/.493 batting line with 49 homers in 907 plate appearances. He walked at a 10.8% clip but struck out in 31.9% of his plate appearances. The Minnesota native (Forest Lake) averaged just under 92 mph off the bat with a hard-hit rate just over 48%. He’s not a very good defender, but the slug-heavy approach was potent enough to make him worth about five wins above replacement in 255 games, per both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.
The 2026 season has been a disaster, however. Wallner has appeared in 33 games and posted a .167/.259/.292 slash. His already-high strikeout rate has exploded to 39.3%. His walk rate has dropped to a career-low 7.4%.
Over the past month, Wallner has just seven hits in 67 trips to the plate (58 official at-bats), and he hasn’t impacted the ball when he does manage to make contact. He’s averaging just 88.4 mph off the bat this season, and over the past 30 days that number is all the way down to 85.4 mph. His 28.6% hard-hit rate in that span ranks 221st among the 250 players who’ve taken at least 60 plate appearances — not exactly what a team wants from a slugging, power-over-hit corner outfielder who needs plenty of extra-base hits to offset substandard glovework.
If Wallner spends at least 20 days in St. Paul, he’ll burn the final of his three minor league option years. That’s particularly notable with Wallner also set to reach arbitration for the first time this winter. If he continues at a rate this poor or has merely an average-ish finish to his season whenever he returns, the Twins will have a decision to make. Wallner won’t break the bank in his first trip through the arb process, but he’s hit for enough power in his pre-arb platform to make a couple million dollars or so. Given that he’d be out of minor league options in an organization with several high-end corner outfield prospects on the horizon, Wallner’s standing within his hometown organization appears to be very much on the line.
The Twins have 2023 No. 5 overall pick Walker Jenkins on the cusp of the majors. Jenkins currently ranks as the No. 4 prospect in the entire sport, per Baseball America. He’s not hitting for power in Triple-A this year but is slashing .256/.396/.389 with 19 walks to 18 strikeouts. There’s reason to think more power is on tap, too. Jenkins is averaging 91.5 mph off the bat and has maxed out at 112 mph. Many of his games have been played in frosty Midwest weather thus far, but temperatures are beginning to rise as summer approaches. Jenkins has been down since May 3 with a shoulder sprain suffered on a collision with the outfield wall, but there’s yet to be any indication he’ll be sidelined for a significant period.
Minnesota also has 23-year-old Emmanuel Rodríguez over in St. Paul. He’s not quite as touted as Wallner but sits 38th on BA’s latest top-100 refresh. Were Rodríguez healthy, he may have even gotten the call to replace Wallner. He’s currently out with a muscle strain in his left hand but was slashing .247/.417/.506 with a colossal 21.3% walk rate in 108 plate appearances. That’s not just some early, small-sample weirdness either. Rodríguez has walked in a staggering 21.6% of his professional appearances, including 21.4% of his 350 total plate appearances in Triple-A. He’s also incredibly strikeout-prone (career 30%) with plus raw power and speed as well as good outfield defense. He could be a three-true-outcomes poster boy while also providing value on the bases and with the glove.
Even beyond that pair of touted prospects, the Twins are flush in corner outfield options. Trevor Larnach is having a decent bounceback season, though he’s somewhat similar to Wallner in many ways. He’s a former top draft pick and well-regarded prospect with a power-over-hit track record who isn’t making hard contact at all in 2026. Austin Martin has stepped up as a regular in the outfield and is hitting .300/.405/.385 with a pair of homers, 17 steals and nearly as many walks as strikeouts in 306 plate appearances dating back to last season.
Minnesota also added now-26-year-old Alan Roden from the Jays in last year’s Louis Varland trade. He’s out with a shoulder injury in St. Paul but has consistently thrashed Triple-A pitching and could get a real look if he’s able to return this summer. Prospect Gabriel Gonzalez had a down year in 2024, bounced back with a huge 2025 and was added to the 40-man roster, and has now struggled again to begin the 2026 season. He just turned 22 in January, however, so some struggles in his first full season at Triple-A aren’t shocking. They just promoted Hendry Mendez (acquired in last year’s Harrison Bader trade) to Triple-A after a big start in Double-A. He’s hitting .306/.400/.486 overall.
Suffice it to say, the Twins are deep in candidates to flank Byron Buxton in the corners. That depth makes Wallner’s poor performance all the more problematic for the 28-year-old slugger. The Twins will try to get him back on track in St. Paul for now, but there are plenty of younger options breathing down his neck.
Matthews’ return is of some note here as well. He’s a former top-100 prospect who’s been hot in Triple-A of late (2.67 ERA, 28-to-7 K/BB ratio in his past five starts/27 innings) who’ll get another chance in the rotation due to injuries. Minnesota lost Pablo López (UCL surgery) and David Festa (shoulder impingement) before the season started. Mick Abel (elbow/triceps inflammation) and breakout righty Taj Bradley (pectoral inflammation) are currently on the 15-day IL. Matthews hasn’t found success in parts of two prior big league seasons, but he’s still 25 and now has another chance to show he can stick in the majors with a good impression. Simeon Woods Richardson has struggled badly, so even if Bradley and Abel get healthy, there could be a spot for Matthews moving forward.
Twins To Recall Zebby Matthews
The Twins will recall Zebby Matthews from Triple-A St. Paul to start tomorrow afternoon’s series finale against the Marlins. Manager Derek Shelton announced the decision after tonight’s 9-5 loss to the Fish (relayed by Aaron Gleeman).
It’ll be the first MLB appearance of the season for Matthews. The former top prospect was optioned to begin the year after failing to win a rotation spot out of camp. Matthews has started seven times in Triple-A, allowing a 4.72 ERA through 34 1/3 innings. He has had a decent strikeout and walk profile but has allowed multiple home runs in three of those outings.
That’s been the general profile during Matthews’ big league time as well. He fanned a quarter of opponents against a solid 6.6% walk rate in 25 MLB starts between 2024-25. His earned run average nevertheless sits just under 6.00. That’s partially due to a .359 average on balls in play, but the home run has been his biggest undoing. Matthews has allowed 1.77 longballs per nine innings, permitting a lot of those baserunners to score.
Minnesota lost Pablo López to elbow surgery early in camp. They’ve been without David Festa all season due to a shoulder impingement. Matthews nevertheless opened the season as the seventh arm on their rotation depth chart. Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson have held rotation roles all season. Taj Bradley and Mick Abel rounded out the season-opening five.
Abel landed on the injured list with elbow inflammation in the middle of April. Minnesota called up highly-regarded lefty Connor Prielipp to take that spot. Bradley went on the shelf over the weekend with pectoral inflammation, so the Twins will now tab Matthews to step into the rotation.
Minnesota has gotten strong work out of four of their rotation spots. Ryan, Ober, Bradley and the combination of Abel and Prielipp have all pitched well. Woods Richardson, who was a reasonable back-of-the-rotation arm over the last two seasons, is mired in a nightmare stretch. He opened the year with 11 2/3 innings of three-run ball over his first two starts. He hasn’t gotten beyond five innings in any of his last seven times out, allowing at least three runs in each. Miami put up eight runs (six earned) in three innings against him tonight, pushing his ERA to 7.71 over 42 frames.
Woods Richardson is out of options. The Twins could consider a bullpen move if they feel he needs a reset, but the various rotation injuries are testing their depth. Aside from Matthews, John Klein is the only other pitcher on the 40-man roster working out of the St. Paul rotation. Rookies Kendry Rojas and Andrew Morris have worked multiple innings out of the bullpen and could step into the rotation if they wanted to make a move with Woods Richardson. They’re three days into a stretch of nine straight game days.
Matt Bowman, John Brebbia Have Upcoming Opt-Outs In Twins’ Deals
Relievers Matt Bowman and John Brebbia can opt out of their minor league contracts with the Twins on Sunday, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP and SKOR North. Assuming the right-handers trigger their out clauses, Minnesota would either need to call them up or allow them to become free agents.
Bowman is sitting on a 1.77 earned run average with a 26% strikeout rate and near-55% grounder percentage over 20 1/3 innings at Triple-A St. Paul. The sinkerballer also pitched quite well during Spring Training, reeling off 7 1/3 frames with one unearned run and seven punchouts. Bowman made five MLB appearances for the Twins early in the 2024 season and has signed a handful of minor league contracts with the club over the past three years.
Minnesota picked up Brebbia just after Opening Day. The 35-year-old (36 later this month) had been in camp with Colorado and was granted his release at the end of Spring Training. Brebbia has struggled to a 5.40 ERA across 18 1/3 innings with St. Paul. He’s striking hitters out at a near-30% clip, but he has allowed at least one run in five of his past six appearances.
Neither Brebbia nor Bowman are generating huge swinging strike rates. They’re both journeyman middle relievers who sit around 92 mph with their fastballs. There’s no guarantee the Twins select either player. That said, they could easily carve out space in a bullpen that has been one of the worst in the league.
Only the Astros have a higher relief ERA than Minnesota’s 5.54 mark. They’re also 29th in strikeout percentage (above the Nationals, in this case) and have the eighth-highest walk rate. Kody Funderburk is the only Minnesota reliever who has a sub-4.00 ERA while throwing more than 10 innings. Funderburk has more walks than strikeouts and was optioned to Triple-A yesterday. Every other Minnesota reliever has struggled to prevent runs.
Their three relievers with the highest strikeout rates — Garrett Acton, Cody Laweryson and Cole Sands — are all injured. Luis García, Taylor Rogers, Eric Orze and Anthony Banda have drawn their highest-leverage assignments.
Twins Place Taj Bradley On 15-Day Injured List
The Twins announced that right-hander Taj Bradley has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right pec muscle. The placement is retroactive to May 6. Right-hander Travis Adams was called up from Triple-A to take Bradley’s spot on the active roster.
It can be assumed that Bradley’s injury surfaced during his between-starts throwing sessions, as he came out of his last outing on Tuesday in seemingly good fitness. Bradley was slated to start for the Twins against the Guardians tomorrow, and the Twins could make another call-up as a replacement starter, or perhaps deploy a bullpen game (with Adams likely to earn multiple innings).
The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but in any case is an unwelcome interruption to Bradley’s impressive start to his first full season in a Twins uniform. Bradley has a 2.87 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate, and 8.5.% walk rate across eight starts and 47 innings. His 3.71 SIERA reflects that Bradley has gotten away with limiting the damage from a lot of hard contact allowed, but still, it has been a solid turn-around for a pitcher who seemed at a crossroads following a disappointing 2025 campaign.
Bradley joins Mick Abel and Pablo Lopez as Twins starters on the injured list, and Lopez’s season ended before it began when he underwent an internal brace surgery in February. Minnesota got another big injury scare when Joe Ryan‘s last start ended after only nine pitches, but Ryan is set to return to the mound today without any time missed due to the elbow discomfort. An off-day on Monday will allow the Twins to rest and reset their pitching staff, but since their next off-day isn’t until May 21, the Twins will need to cover at least one more of Bradley’s scheduled starts.
Twins Designate Christian Roa For Assignment
The Twins have designated righty Christian Roa for assignment, per a club announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster goes to newly acquired right-hander Yoendrys Gómez, whose acquisition has now been formally announced by Minnesota.
Roa was only claimed off waivers from the Astros a couple weeks back. He hasn’t appeared in a game for the big league club. The 27-year-old tossed 2 1/3 innings with Triple-A St. Paul and allowed a pair of runs on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He’s pitched a total of 11 2/3 major league innings between the Marlins and Astros, allowing five runs (3.86 ERA) with more walks than strikeouts.
The 6’4″, former Texas A&M standout was the No. 48 overall pick by the Reds back in 2020. He’s drawn praise for a plus slider and average or better fastball and changeup over the years, but he’s regularly received 30 and 40 grades (on the 20-80 scale) for his command along the way. Roa has pitched to a 4.56 ERA in parts of four Triple-A seasons, fanning 25.5% of his opponents there but also issuing walks at a dismal 14% clip.
The Twins will have five days to trade Roa, place him on outright waivers or release him. Waivers would be a 48-hour process, so his DFA will be resolved within a maximum of one week’s time.
Twins To Acquire Yoendrys Gómez
The Twins are going to acquire right-hander Yoendrys Gómez from the Rays, reports Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. It’s unclear what Tampa, who designated Gómez for assignment a few days ago, will receive in return. The Twins have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to make this official. He will also need an active roster spot whenever he reports to the team.
Gómez, 26, wa once a notable prospect with the Yankees but he hasn’t been able to click in the majors yet. He exhausted his final option season in 2024, which has pushed him into fringe roster territory. He pitched for the Yankees, Dodgers and White Sox last year. He was traded to the Rays in November and began this season with them.
On the whole, Gómez has thrown 93 1/3 big league innings spread over the past four seasons. He has has allowed 5.11 earned runs per nine. His 20.2% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate and 32.7% ground ball rate are all subpar. There’s more potential to be seen in his minor league numbers. In 130 Triple-A innings, he has a 3.12 ERA and 28.9% strikeout rate. His 11% walk rate is still too high but the punchouts are enticing.
He has mostly worked as a starter in the minors but has largely been kept in a long relief role in the majors. The Twins will probably put him in that role as well. Simeon Woods Richardson is scheduled to start Thursday’s game. He has a 6.49 ERA on the year and has only gone longer than five innings in one of his seven starts. Connor Prielipp is scheduled to make just his fourth career big league start on Friday. On Saturday, Joe Ryan is scheduled to pitch despite departing his last start due to elbow soreness after just two batters.
There’s a decent chance of needing a long man at some point in that stretch, which is perhaps part of the appeal in adding Gómez. Due to his out-of-options status, he’ll need to be removed from the 40-man if the Twins want to bump him off the active roster at any point in the future.
Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images
Joe Ryan Hoping To Avoid Injured List; No Structural Damage In Elbow
The Twins received good news on star right-hander Joe Ryan after he exited his most recent start in the first inning due to elbow pain. An MRI taken revealed no structural damage, the team told its beat (link via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Ryan is planning to throw a bullpen today and may not even require a trip to the injured list.
Alarm bells sounded during Ryan’s most recent start, when he lasted only nine pitches before departing with a trainer. The right-hander himself explained that he felt some discomfort that he hasn’t experienced in the past on multiple pitches. Since it was in his elbow, he took the cautious approach of signaling for a trainer. The Twins, understandably, did not take any chances.
Time will tell if Ryan is completely out of the woods. He’s already played catch. Today’s bullpen session will be informative. However, even if he requires a brief trip to the 15-day IL, that’s a far better outcome than the one for which most Twins fans (and presumably Twins brass) were bracing.
Ryan, 29, has been one of the steadier pitchers in the American League since making his debut back in 2021, after the Twins acquired him from the Rays in exchange for Nelson Cruz. He’s made 123 appearances — all but one of them starts — and posted a 3.79 ERA with a strong 27.5% strikeout rate and an excellent 5.7% walk rate. He’s a fly-ball pitcher who lacks premium velocity, which has always made him a bit homer-prone, but Ryan’s ability to avoid walks and miss bats in the zone has helped him limit the damage nonetheless.
The Twins control Ryan through the 2027 season. He’s earning $6.2MM this year and is owed one more raise in arbitration. (This year’s deal has a mutual option on it, but that’ll very likely be declined by one side, and the two parties will reconvene to negotiate a new price for his final arb season.)
Minnesota entered the season widely expected to be one of the least-competitive teams in the league. They’ve outperformed expectations, to an extent, thanks to big strides from younger players like Austin Martin, Brooks Lee and especially Taj Bradley, while veterans Trevor Larnach and Ryan Jeffers have had resurgent performances. Byron Buxton has been terrific, homering 11 times in 33 games.
Those positive developments notwithstanding, the Twins’ decision not to invest anything meaningful in the bullpen after tearing down the relief corps and trading away their five best relievers last summer has left them with a sub-.500 record. Minnesota relievers rank 28th in the majors in ERA (5.26), 29th in strikeout rate (18.3%) and 21st in walk rate (10.9%). Only three teams (Mets, Red Sox, Angels) have a lower average fastball from their relievers.
The Twins play in baseball’s worst division, so their 16-20 record leaves them only 1.5 games out of first place, trailing a Tigers club that just lost ace Tarik Skubal to a monthslong absence. Perhaps that’ll be enough to keep all five AL Central teams in relative contention into the summer, but Ryan still stands as an obvious potential trade chip in light of last summer’s fire sale and some ownership turmoil that has left the team with a payroll about $50MM shy of its 2023 peak. Getting a clean bill of health on his right elbow both gives the Twins a better chance at making an improbable contention run and preserves most of the trade value for a veteran arm who’ll be their top deadline chip if they sell for a second straight summer.