Twins, Coulombe close to Minors deal (source)

The Twins are nearing an agreement on a Minor League contract with left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe, a source confirmed to MLB.com on Wednesday. The club has not confirmed the transaction, which was first reported by MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal.

A five-year veteran who last pitched in the Majors with the A’s in 2018, Coulombe should earn an invitation to big league Spring Training with Minnesota. Over a 2019 that he spent exclusively in Triple-A with affiliates of the Brewers and Yankees, Coulombe posted a 36% strikeout rate and averaged 15.1 punchouts per nine innings. But he was plagued by nine homers in just 36 1/3 innings, which led to a 4.71 ERA over 31 outings. Home run numbers were up by nearly 60% across Triple-A last season, according to The Athletic.

The Twins’ bullpen proved to be a strength in 2019 after collectively posting 7.3 Wins Above Replacement, the third-best mark in the Majors, according to FanGraphs. But even with Tyler Duffey striking out 12.8 batters per nine innings, Trevor May posting a 2.94 ERA and Cody Stashak walking just one batter last season, and Sergio Romo returning as a setup man, the club lacks left-handed depth. Taylor Rogers, who impressed with 30 saves, Lewis Thorpe and Devin Smeltzer, who has starter capability, are the only lefties on the pitching staff.

That’s how Coulombe could legitimately vie for Major League innings. The Twins already reached similar agreements with lefties Blaine Hardy and Caleb Thielbar, though the club has not formally announced those pacts.

A 25th-round Draft pick by the Dodgers in 2012, Coulombe has posted a 4.27 ERA in 143 1/3 innings over 153 games with Los Angeles and Oakland. He carries just over two years of service time, meaning he’s essentially an upside arm.