On Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins made their first major league free agent signing of the offseason to strengthen their bullpen. According to Twins beat writer Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune, Danny Coulombe signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the club. The 35-year-old left-handed reliever previously pitched for the Twins during the 2020-2022 seasons.
Twins Add Reliever as First Offseason Signing
The Twins have a proven lefty for their bullpen. And their first major league free agent signing of the offseason.
Danny Coulombe is headed back to the Twins on a one-year, $3 million deal, pending a physical. https://t.co/QcJP7sgBHx
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) February 4, 2025
A Familiar Arm
Coulombe spent the last two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. During this time, Coloumbe averaged 47 appearances per season, had a 2.56 ERA, 90 strikeouts, and a .951 WHIP. While with the Twins, Coulombe’s best season was in 2021, when he appeared in 29 games with a 3.67 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and 1.223 WHIP over 34.1 innings pitched.
Nightengale notes in his article that Coulombe developed a cutter during his time in Baltimore. This development is reflected in his numbers from the past two seasons and is a much-needed attribute for the Twins’ bullpen. As a left-handed specialist, Coulombe comes in to replace Caleb Thielbar, who signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in December.
Bolstering their Bullpen
The Twins are getting back a pitcher with a solid mix of experience and recent success. In 2024, Coulombe posted an impressive 2.12 ERA and 0.674 WHIP over 29.2 innings pitched. Coulombe’s control is demonstrated in his 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings with only five walks last year. Limiting his opponents to only 0.9 home runs per nine innings in 2024, Coulumbe can prevent damage when coming into high-leverage situations. This exceptional control has meant that Coulombe can effectively limit base runners, an important aspect when setting up for the Twins’ powerful closer, Jhoan Durán.
With pitchers such as Griffin Jax and Jhoan Durán already a part of their bullpen, the Twins are adding depth by signing the left-handed reliever. Coulombe’s 2024 season is noteworthy as it demonstrates a veteran willing to work and improve his skillset. This will make Coulombe a good example of the Twins’ bullpen, dominated by youth. His experience and control strengthen the Twins’ ability to close out important games, something the Twins needed at the end of the 2024 season.
Main Photo Credits: Gregory Fisher-
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