The Six Million Dollar Man: Twins sign reliever Taylor Rogers

December 4, 2020 at 1:33PM
Taylor Rogers
Taylor Rogers (Carlos Gonzalez • carlos.gonzalez@startribune.com/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Twins and Taylor Rogers didn't quite get a contract done by Wednesday night's non-tender deadline, but eventually the lefthanded closer agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal.

The news comes the morning after the team parted ways with Eddie Rosario and Matt Wisler by non-tendering them contracts. Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey didn't close the door on re-signing those two as free agents.

Rogers turns 30 on Dec. 17 and will be eligible for free agency in 2023. In five seasons with the Twins, he is 15-14 with a 3.12 ERA over 279 games and 274 innings. In 2019, Rogers had 30 saves with 90 strikeouts in 69 innings, but his 2020 numbers weren't as strong. His ERA ballooned to a career-high 4.05 and his WHIP was an inflated 1.500; eventually, he shared closing duties with Sergio Romo.

In a rarity, the Twins reached one-year deals with all the players who were tendered, meaning no arbitration battles. All-Star pitcher Jose Berrios got $6.1 million, center fielder Byron Buxton got $5.125 million, reliever Tyler Duffey got $2.2 million, catcher Mitch Garver got $1.875 million and lefty Caleb Thielbar got $650,000.

The team has 35 players on its 40-man roster.

about the writer

La Velle E. Neal III

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La Velle E. Neal III is a sports columnist for the Star Tribune who previously covered the Twins for more than 20 years.

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