Matt Bowman made his final Twins contract decision on Sunday.
The Minnesota Twins need all of the help they can get as they look to shock the MLB world and make a postseason run in 2026. However, they may have to make a run without veteran relief pitcher Matt Bowman, who reportedly opted out of his contract on Sunday, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
Bowman was signed to a minor league deal with the ball club. Heyman reports that Minnesota now has until Wednesday to either promote him to the big league ball club or let him become a free agent. The Twins' bullpen has endured ups and downs all season long, so this could end up being an especially challenging decision for the Twins.
Bowman, 34, made his MLB debut back in 2016 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He performed well early in his career. He has endured ups and downs over the years, but Bowman is still a reliever who is more than capable of making a significant impact. He last appeared at the MLB level with the Baltimore Orioles in 2025.
Bowman has spent the '26 campaign at Triple-A up to this point, where he has turned in a stellar 1.69 ERA across 14 outings. He is clearly making an argument for a big league promotion without saying a word. If the Twins end up letting him enter free agency, Bowman will surely receive legitimate interest from other ball clubs. In fact, some teams may even want to sign him to an MLB contract.
It will be a situation worth closely monitoring as the Twins prepare to make their decision.
Twins Facing Big Decision
The Twins' pitching needs help regardless of whether or not the team promotes Bowman. Overall, Minnesota is 23rd in team ERA. The ball club is also 28th in bullpen ERA. Bowman could help matters to say the least.
Minnesota has out-performed expectations overall so far in 2026. They also happen to play in an extremely winnable American League Central division. In order to make a serious playoff run, though, the pitching will need to improve as soon as possible.
For now. Minnesota will look to build momentum following its 5-4 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. They are now 21-26 overall so far in 2026 and in third place in the American League Central standings.
Minnesota's next game is scheduled for Monday night at 7:40 PM EST against the Houston Astros.