Surprised by his departure from Los Angeles, Banda seeks redemption and a key role in Minnesota's bullpen.
The Minnesota Twins are doing everything they can to rebuild their bullpen after tearing it apart at last summer’s trade deadline, and their latest move brought in a pitcher who knows what it takes to win at the highest level.
On February 12, the Twins officially acquired left-handed reliever Anthony Banda from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for international bonus pool money, adding a two-time World Series champion to a pitching staff that desperately needs veteran experience heading into 2026.
It did not cost Minnesota much at all to land Banda either, as the Twins only sent a reported $500,000 in international bonus pool space to Los Angeles to get the deal done.
The Quote That Says It All
Banda spoke with Dan Hayes of The Athletic about the surprise of being designated for assignment by the Dodgers on February 6, and he did not hide the fact that it caught him off guard.
“It was a little bit of, I guess, a blindside. I wasn’t expecting that,” Banda said. “But going into it and then finding an opportunity elsewhere, it’s been great. It’s been a whirlwind of a day, or a week, really. But (the Dodgers) were amazing.”
That honesty tells a lot about where Banda’s head is at, because he clearly appreciated his time in Los Angeles but is also ready to move forward and make the most of what Minnesota is offering him.
A Reliever Who Proved Himself in Los Angeles
Banda put together the two best seasons of his career while pitching for the Dodgers, and the numbers back that up in a big way.
In 2024, Banda went 3-2 with a 3.08 ERA across 49.2 innings after the Dodgers picked him up from the Cleveland Guardians in May, and he was a key part of the bullpen that helped fuel their World Series run that fall.
He followed that up with an even busier 2025 campaign where he appeared in a career-high 71 games for the Dodgers, going 5-1 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP across 65.0 innings while holding opposing batters to a .197 average.
Over those two seasons combined, the 32-year-old lefty posted a 3.14 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 114.2 innings and walked away with two World Series rings as Los Angeles won back-to-back titles.
Why This Move Makes Sense for Minnesota
The Twins went 70-92 in 2025 and finished fourth in the AL Central, and a big reason for that was a bullpen that fell apart after Minnesota traded away five relievers at last summer’s deadline, including Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.
Banda steps into a situation where he goes from being buried on the Dodgers’ depth chart behind Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer to being one of the most experienced arms in the Twins’ bullpen right away.
His familiarity with new Twins manager Derek Shelton, who managed Banda during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021-22, only makes the transition smoother.
At just $1.625 million for 2026, this is a low-cost move for a pitcher who was among the most reliable left-handed relievers in baseball over the past two years, and he gives Minnesota a proven arm who can handle high-leverage situations as the Twins try to bounce back from a rough season.
The DFA may have been a blindside, but Banda’s fresh start in Minnesota could end up being exactly what both sides needed.