Twins snag a World Series-tested lefty reliever for cheap.
The Minnesota Twins made a move to strengthen their bullpen on Thursday, trading international bonus pool money to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for left-handed reliever Anthony Banda.
The deal gives Minnesota a proven arm who has pitched in big moments at a time when the Twins are trying to rebuild a relief unit that was gutted at last year's trade deadline.
What Banda Brings to Minnesota
Banda is coming off a strong 2025 season in which he led the Dodgers' bullpen with 71 appearances while posting a 3.18 ERA and a 5-1 record in 65 innings.
Over the past two seasons with Los Angeles, the 32-year-old lefty put together a 3.14 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 114.2 innings, and he picked up two World Series rings along the way.
He has been especially effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to just a .182 batting average last season, which makes him a nice fit next to fellow southpaw Kody Funderburk in the middle innings.
The cost was low too. Banda is making just $1.625 million in 2026 and is controllable through the 2027 season via salary arbitration, so the Twins could get value out of him for more than just one year.
Minnesota also designated reliever Jackson Kowar for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Why It Might Not Matter
Here is the flip side.
The Twins went 70-92 in 2025 and finished fourth in the AL Central after trading away five key relievers at the deadline last summer, including Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.
One solid lefty reliever is not going to fix all of that overnight.
Banda's walk rate also jumped from 8.6 percent in 2024 to 12.7 percent last season, and his 4.52 FIP over the past two years suggests he may have gotten a bit lucky with the results.
There is also the fact that the Twins have not done much this offseason to move the needle, with most of their additions being depth-level signings rather than impact moves.
Looking Ahead
Still, Banda is a useful addition for a team that needs arms.
He joins Taylor Rogers, Justin Topa, and Cole Sands as one of the few relievers on the roster with real major league experience.
The Twins also added veterans Liam Hendriks and Julian Merryweather on minor league deals the same day, showing they are at least trying to piece together a functional bullpen before Opening Day.
Minnesota is not expected to contend this season, but moves like this show the front office is not content to simply roll over.
If Banda pitches the way he did for the Dodgers, he could end up being one of the better under-the-radar pickups of the entire offseason.