Twins call up three position players, five pitchers from Class AAA St. Paul

CLEVELAND — One day after the Twins completed a stunning fire sale at the trade deadline, shipping eight players to other teams Thursday, they brought up minor leaguers by the busload.

The Twins called up six players from Class AAA for Friday’s series opener in Cleveland, and they sent a team bus to pick them up from nearby Toledo, Ohio, where the St. Paul Saints are playing this week.

The additions include position players Austin Martin, Edouard Julien and Ryan Fitzgerald, along with pitchers Travis Adams, Pierson Ohl, Erasmo Ramírez and José Ureña. Outfielder Alan Roden, acquired from Toronto in the Louie Varland/Ty France deal, is joining the active roster, too.

“Toby [Gardenhire] told us we had a bus there, put our [baseball] stuff on the bus and go back to the hotel and grab your [personal] stuff, and it was a two-hour trip here,” Adams said, referring to the Saints manager. Adams described their clubhouse’s reaction to the trade deadline as “definitely shocked.”

Pitchers typically need to spend 15 days in the minors after they were optioned, but Adams and Ohl were permitted to return early because they’re replacing players who were traded away.

Martin and Roden were atop Friday’s lineup, both playing in the outfield, and Julien started at second base.

“These opportunities, they’re precious,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s a beautiful thing watching guys take advantage of them and that’s what I want to see right now.”

Ramírez has pitched for six teams during his 13-year major league career. He was in big-league camp with the Twins after signing a minor league deal, and he missed the first couple months of the season with a shoulder tear. Ramírez had a 4.35 ERA in 20⅔ innings for the Tampa Bay Rays last year.

Ureña has already pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays this year. He joined the Twins on a minor league deal after the Dodgers designated him for assignment in June. In 18⅓ innings this season, he’s posted a 5.40 ERA in nine outings and two starts.

The Twins opted to send center fielder James Outman and pitchers Mick Abel and Taj Bradley, all new acquisitions, to Class AAA. They all have big-league experience this year.

They want Outman to move back into playing every day after he held a bench role with the Dodgers, and it’s possible they will work on a swing adjustment.

Abel and Bradley have been tweaking their pitches in the minors, prior to their trades, and the Twins want them to continue that process before they return to face big-league hitters.

“I’m excited for the new challenge,” Sands said. “I want to embrace this opportunity and hopefully get some opportunity to pitch the backend of games, see what we can do with that. It’s a little different.”

Topa had experience in a high-leverage role when he pitched for Seattle in 2023.

The Twins promoted corner outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez to Class AAA on Friday. He was the headliner prospect in Jorge Polanco trade before the 2024 season.

Gonzalez, a 21-year-old righthanded batter, is on the shortlist for the organization’s minor league player of the year. He hit .344 in 55 games at Class AA Wichita with 19 doubles, four homers and 15 RBI while posting a .429 on-base percentage.