Twins add bullpen piece in lefty Coulombe
The Twins made a move to shore up one of their primary areas of concern, inking a deal with left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe, the team announced on Friday. The deal for Coulombe -- which is for one year and $3 million, plus performance bonuses, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand -- was announced in tandem with the signing of outfielder Harrison Bader.
Coulombe, 35, adds a much-needed lefty presence to a Twins bullpen that is stacked with right-handers. He essentially replaces Caleb Thielbar, who departed as a free agent to join the Cubs, but based on recent performance represents an upgrade and a legitimate late-inning tactical option.
The team created space for Coulombe by trading utility player Michael Helman to the Cardinals for cash considerations on Thursday.
Coulombe previously pitched for the Twins from 2020-22 before being traded to the Orioles for cash in March 2023. He went on to establish himself as a key bullpen option for Baltimore over the past two seasons, posting a 2.56 ERA with 90 strikeouts and 17 walks in 81 innings spanning 94 appearances.
He has dominated left-handers in recent years. Coulombe did not walk a single left-handed batter in 2024 and hasn’t permitted a homer to a lefty since '21.
Coulombe, who was born in St. Louis and pitched collegiately at Texas Tech, has pitched in parts of 10 MLB seasons and owns a lifetime 3.52 ERA over 288 games, making appearances for the Dodgers and the Athletics, in addition to the Twins and O's.
Prior to its agreement with Coulombe, Minnesota had not added a free agent on a Major League deal this offseason. Though the subsequent addition of Bader satisfies the team's need for a right-handed outfielder, Minnesota has not replaced first baseman Carlos Santana, who departed to Cleveland as a free agent.