Twins sign first baseman Ty France
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have signed first baseman Ty France to a one-year contract.
France, 30, split the 2024 season between Seattle and Cincinnati, combining to hit .234 (112-for-479) with 24 doubles, 13 home runs, 51 RBI, 38 walks, 46 runs scored and a .670 OPS in 140 games. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound first baseman slashed .235/.299/.370 against righties and .231/.321/.350 against lefties last season. He also slashed .320/.393/.420 with runners in scoring position and two outs. Since 2021, he ranks seventh in baseball in games played (524) at first base and ranks third among all first basemen in ultimate zone rating (5.3) in that span, per Fangraphs.
The Downey, California native was originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the 34th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of San Diego State University. The 2022 American League All-Star has played parts of six major league seasons with San Diego (2019-20), Seattle (2020-2024) and Cincinnati (2024), hitting .263 (662-for-2513) with 132 doubles, four triples, 74 home runs, 312 RBI, 182 walks, 314 runs scored, a .337 on-base percentage, a .407 slugging percentage and a .744 OPS in 702 games.
France takes the 40-man roster spot vacated by left-handed pitcher Brent Headrick, who was designated for release or assignment on Tuesday and claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees. Headrick made just one appearance in 2024 while spending most of the season recovering from a left forearm strain.
The Twins now have 40 players on their 40-man roster: 21 pitchers, four catchers, six infielders, six outfielders and three utility players.
Additionally, the Twins have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Erasmo Ramírez on a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. Ramírez, 34, went 3-0 with a 4.35 ERA (20.2 IP, 10 ER), one save, 10 walks, 15 strikeouts and a 1.06 WHIP in 13 relief appearances for the Tampa Bay Rays and 3-4, 3.23 ERA (53.0 IP, 19 ER) with three holds, four saves, 15 walks, 64 strikeouts and a 1.23 WHIP in 37 outings for Triple-A Durham in 2024. The Rivas, Nicaragua native has pitched in 327 games (96 starts) over parts of 13 major league seasons with Seattle (2012-14, ’17, ’18), Tampa Bay (2015-17, ’23-24), Boston (2019), New York-NL (2020), Detroit (2021) and Washington (2022-23), going 43-45 with a 4.37 ERA (849.0 IP, 412 ER), 228 walks, 645 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP.