The Twins have brought reliever Trevor Megill back to the organization on a minor league deal, according to Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. Megill was claimed off waivers from the Cubs last week and then non-tendered a few hours later.
The deal is a birthday present of sorts for Megill, as he is turning 28 years old today. Drafted by the Padres in 2015, Megill was selected by the Cubs in the 2019 Rule 5 draft, but was then returned to San Diego and reacquired by the Cubs for cash considerations.
He made his major league debut in 2021, logging 23 2/3 innings of the Cubs’ bullpen. The results weren’t there for the righty, as evidenced by his 8.37 ERA. But the Twins were surely intrigued by his 26.1% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate, both of which are better than the league average. His Triple-A numbers are even more impressive, with a 4.62 ERA in 64 1/3 innings there. He also has a 32.2% strikeout rate at the highest level of the minors, though a slightly elevated walk rate of 9.5%.
Megill still has a couple of option years and less than a year of service time. If the Twins can figure out how to transfer some of that Triple-A track record into success at the major league level, he could be a useful bullpen piece for the long term.