The Minnesota Twins made a minor-league move.
The Minnesota Twins bullpen has been a constant cycle of revolving younger arms and veterans all year long as the organization searches for reliable options. The process has been expected given the Twins are working with limited financial flexibility and also sent away nearly their entire 2025 bullpen at last year's trade deadline.
This year they added Jeff Hoffman from the Toronto Blue Jays and A.J. Minter from the New York Mets at the deadline, but they could still use additional depth heading into the final stretch of the season.
As a result, they have decided to bring another arm into the mix. "The Twins signed Ron Marinaccio to a minor league contract and assigned him to AAA Saint Paul," wrote Twins reporter Brandon Warne.
Marinaccio arrives fresh off a failed stint with the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds designated him for assignment earlier this month, he cleared waivers and elected free agency.
This marks the fourth organization Marinaccio will pitch for this season, having also been designated for assignment by both the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates earlier in the year.
His DFA by the Reds made sense given how poorly he performed there, allowing 10 earned runs in just 5 1/3 innings of work. In four appearances, Marinaccio allowed a run in every single one.
Marinaccio may not end up being called up even to a depleted Minnesota bullpen this season. He will primarily serve as a depth option should anyone go down with an injury, given how inconsistently he has pitched everywhere he has landed this year.
Across his time with all three previous teams in 2026, the 31-year-old has posted a 6.09 ERA.
However, there is a clear reason Minnesota gave him a look despite those struggles. From 2022 to 2024 he was a solid relief pitcher for the New York Yankees, posting a 3.22 ERA across that three-year stretch.
In the 2025 season with the Padres, he allowed just one run across 10 2/3 innings, showing his effectiveness had not completely disappeared heading into this year.
This season has simply been a disaster for him regardless of where he has pitched. The Twins are hoping that time in the minor leagues gives him a chance to reset and show signs of improvement before the regular season ends.
If he does, a September call-up is not entirely out of the question for a bullpen that has needed all the help it can get.
