Twins avoid arbitration with relief pitcher Brock Stewart, 2 others

The Twins have since confirmed deals with Stewart and fellow relievers Justin Topa and Michael Tonkin. Topa — acquired in the Jorge Polanco trade — missed all but three games at the end of last season due to left patellar tendinitis. Tonkin, a former Twins pitcher for several seasons, bounced around the league last season, including two stints with Minnesota. He finished with a 3.63 ERA and 85 strikeouts across 79.1 innings and 57 appearances, including a 3.86 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 16.1 innings and 13 games for the Twins.

Stewart, 33, has been fantastic the past two seasons when healthy. The problem, like for several other Twins players, is he hasn't been healthy very often.

In 2023, he appeared in 28 games for Minnesota, posting a 0.65 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 27.2 innings, but missed from June 27 through Sept. 25 due to right elbow soreness. This past season, he didn’t allow a run until his 13th appearance and again posted great strikeout numbers but missed 12 weeks with shoulder tendinitis, then missed the rest of the season with a shoulder strain after returning for three rough outings in July.

His raw stuff is filthy, pairing a high-90s fastball with a good sweeper, plus a sinker, cutter and changeup to mix in. However, the Twins desperately need him to stay healthy.

On paper, the Twins have an elite bullpen, with Stewart and Jorge Alcala behind Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran. Thanks to health issues and inconsistency, Minnesota's bullpen posted a 4.12 ERA last season, 19th in MLB.

The Twins still have several other arbitration-eligible players to negotiate with this offseason but have at least tendered offers to:

• Duran,
• Jax,
• Bailey Ober,
• Joe Ryan,
• Ryan Jeffers,
• Royce Lewis,
• Trevor Larnach, and
• Willi Castro.

Stewart has two more years of control after 2025; Topa and Tonkin each have one.