Twins set to add bullpen piece in lefty Coulombe (source)
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The Twins made a move Tuesday to shore of one of their primary areas of concern. A source told MLB.com that Minnesota has agreed to a deal with left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe, pending a physical. The club hasn¡¯t confirmed the deal, which is for one year and $3 million, plus performance bonuses, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
Coulombe, 35, will add a much-needed lefty presence to a Twins bullpen that is stacked with right-handers. He essentially replaces Caleb Thielbar, who departed as a free agent to join the Cubs, but based on recent performance represents an upgrade and a legitimate late-inning tactical option.
The move is likely to be made official by the end of the week. However, the Twins are already at 40 players on their 40-man roster so they will have to make a corresponding move in order to clear space for the new addition.
Coulombe previously pitched for the Twins from 2020-22 before being traded to the Orioles for cash considerations in March 2023. He went on to establish himself as a key bullpen option for Baltimore over the past two seasons, posting a 2.56 ERA with 90 strikeouts and 17 walks in 81 innings spanning 94 appearances.
He has dominated left-handers in recent years. Coulombe did not walk a single left-handed batter in 2024 and hasn¡¯t permitted a homer to a lefty since '21.
The move leaves two main areas of need with nine days before Spring Training workouts begin. Minnesota has not replaced first baseman Carlos Santana, who departed to Cleveland as a free agent, and the roster could also use a right-handed corner bat.
The Athletic reported recently that the club could have ¡°perhaps $5 million¡± in payroll wiggle room, indicating that another small move might be possible. But in order to add a starting-caliber player, the Twins would probably have to shed some payroll via trade.
Coulombe, who was born in St. Louis and pitched collegiately at Texas Tech, has pitched in parts of 10 MLB seasons and owns a lifetime 3.52 ERA over 288 games, making appearances for the Dodgers and the Athletics in addition to the Twins and O's.
Prior to its agreement with Coulombe, Minnesota had not added a free agent on a Major League deal this offseason.