Taylor Rogers Returns to the Twins

Taylor Rogers didn’t need much convincing to return to the Minnesota Twins. The 35-year-old left-handed reliever, who was drafted by the team in 2012 and played for them for the first six seasons of his major league career, found himself drawn back to the organization he once called home.

Rogers reached out to his agency during the winter meetings, expressing interest in returning to the Twins after spending the last four years with other clubs. However, it wasn’t until Wednesday, January 21, that he received a response from the Twins front office. The negotiation was quick, and by Thursday, January 22, Rogers was already on a flight to Minneapolis to undergo his physical examination and participate in TwinsFest activities.

“It was slow. I had written it off a little bit, just thought maybe it wasn’t going to work, and I was fine with that,” Rogers said. “Once the interest was mutual, I was like, let’s just do it.”

Rogers signed a one-year, $2 million deal, and he credits the coaching staff as a major factor in his decision. New Twins manager Derek Shelton, who served as the team’s bench coach in 2018 and 2019, had frequent conversations with Rogers during batting practice. Rogers plans to rely on new bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins for guidance, particularly in learning how to extend his career as fastball velocity begins to decline.

He also has a connection with new bench coach Mark Hallberg, having worked together in San Francisco. Rogers expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity, saying:

“I told Shelty on the phone, if he was managing a team in Fargo, North Dakota, I would want to go there. Same with an opportunity to work with LaTroy in the bullpen. … I mean, that’s a match made in heaven.”

Rogers is expected to reach his 10 years of service time on April 21, if he calculated the date correctly. This milestone is significant for all major leaguers, as it fully vests their pension. For Rogers, hitting this benchmark while playing for his original organization means a lot.

“[The Taylor Rogers we knew in ’18 and ’19] is going to be different than this guy,” Shelton said. “But he’s still a really good reliever, and I think he’s going to have a big impact in our bullpen not only pitching wise, but the ability to lead our group.”

Victor Caratini Joins the Roster

In addition to Rogers, the Twins added catcher Victor Caratini on a two-year, $14 million contract. Caratini, 32, accumulated a career-high 386 plate appearances last year, and the front office believes he could handle more during the upcoming season.

However, Caratini will not be the everyday catcher. He will serve as the backup behind Ryan Jeffers, but the Twins plan to find him at-bats at other positions.

“Jeffers is going to be the C1,” said Shelton, who called Jeffers once the Twins agreed to their deal with Caratini. “We’ve talked to Victor about it. The thing we thought about is we get a guy who is going to play [well] behind Ryan, but he can play first, he can also DH.”

Caratini posted a .744 OPS in 2024 and a .728 OPS in 2025, crediting a routine he started with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023.

Roster Adjustments

To make room for Rogers and Caratini on the 40-man roster, righthanded reliever Pierson Ohl and catcher Jhonny Pereda were designated for assignment on Friday, January 23. Ohl pitched in 14 games (three starts) for the Twins last season, posting an 0-3 record and a 5.10 ERA. Pereda played 11 games last year with the Twins, totaling four doubles and an RBI.

The Twins have a week to trade them or place them on waivers.

Expanded Big-League Camp

The Twins will have a larger number of players in big-league camp this year because several players will depart to play in the World Baseball Classic at the beginning of March.

Twelve internal prospects were invited to major league camp, including top 100-rated prospects Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper. It will mark the first big-league camp for both players.

Other Twins minor league players invited to big-league camp include pitchers Trent Baker, Cory Lewis, and Christian MacLeod; catchers Noah Cardenas, Ricardo Olivar, and Patrick Winkel; infielders Aaron Sabato and Tanner Schobel; and outfielders Kyler Fedko and Kala’i Rosario.