Tampa Bay traded Orze to the Twins on Tuesday for minor-league pitcher Jacob Kisting, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Orze looked pretty good in his first extended run in the majors last season, posting a 3.02 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 40:19 K:BB over 41.2 innings across 33 appearances. He also picked up three saves and a hold. However, he spent most of the second half of the campaign in the minors after stumbling with the Rays in late June and early July. Orze has a good chance of earning a role in Minnesota's big-league bullpen for 2026, as the club is overhauling most of its relief corps.
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Twins' Kendry Rojas: Gets spot on 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Twins selected Rojas' contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Louis Varland trade, Rojas struggled in eight starts for St. Paul down the stretch, holding a 6.59 ERA and 28:23 K:BB over 27.1 innings. However, the 22-year-old southpaw has swing-and-miss stuff, having fanned 90 in 69 frames between all minor-league stops in 2025. Rojas is now on the 40-man roster and protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
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Twins' Justin Topa: Option declined, but arb eligible
Rotowire
The Twins declined Topa's $2 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Topa remains in the organization, as he has another year of team control via arbitration eligibility. The righty reliever collected a 3.90 ERA and 49:18 K:BB over 60 innings out of the Twins' bullpen in 2025, notching four saves along the way. Topa could see high-leverage innings again in 2026 as part of an unsettled Minnesota relief corps.
Twins' David Festa: Expected to resume throwing soon
Rotowire
Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said Tuesday that Festa (shoulder) should resume throwing relatively soon, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Festa was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in September, but it's considered a mild version and he was given Botox injections to alleviate a compressed nerve between his right shoulder and neck. A setback is possible, but for now Festa is expected to be ready for the start of spring training. If healthy, the young righty will compete for a spot in the Twins' rotation next season. Festa held a 5.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 53:19 K:BB over 53.1 innings in 2025 with the big club.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Considered fully healthy
Rotowire
Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said Tuesday that Lopez (forearm) is fully healthy and projected to have a normal offseason, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Lopez's 2025 season ended in late September with a mild right forearm strain, and he also missed two months earlier in the year with a Grade 2 teres major strain. However, there are no current concerns with Lopez's pitching arm entering the offseason, and he will not face restrictions at the beginning of spring training. The 29-year-old pitched well in 2025 when healthy, posting a 2.74 ERA and 73:20 K:BB over 75.2 innings. Lopez is owed $43.5 million over the next two seasons, and with the Twins shedding payroll, he's a trade candidate this winter.
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