Minnesota Twins Claim Former A's Pitcher

Jason Burke | Sep 17, 2024

Sep 29, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Cole Irvin (19) throws to the plate in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins have claimed left-hander Cole Irvin off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, and the expectation is that he'll be added to the 28-man roster on Tuesday.

Irvin, 30, holds a career 4.49 ERA in the big leagues, including a 4.86 ERA across 107 1/3 innings this season. 93 of his 130 career appearances have been as a starting pitcher, and in 16 starts this season he holds a 4.07 ERA, while in his nine relief outings he has a 7.71 ERA.

This holds true over the course of his career as well, with the lefty accruing a cumulative 4.23 ERA in a starting role, and a 6.40 out of the 'pen.

As a member of the A's, Irvin was exclusively used as a starter, getting the nod in 32 starts in 2021, and 30 games in 2022. He had appeared in 19 games with the Philadelphia Phillies before being traded to Oakland for cash, and with the A's he became a league average starter.

In 2022, his final season with the club, he entered his final start of the season with a 4.11 ERA. He worked his way through six scoreless innings, giving up four hits, hitting two batters, and striking out five, but because he didn't allow a run to cross home, he finished the year with a 3.98 ERA. Coming off the mound after the final out of the sixth, he was pumped, knowing that he'd done what was needed to not only keep the Angels off the board, but also to lower his own ERA below four.

Earlier this year when the Orioles came to Oakland, he said that he's going to miss the Coliseum because that is where he became a big leaguer. The A's traded him ahead of the 2023 season for shortstop Darell Hernaiz.

He is a solid innings eater that can help any pitching staff that he's on. He'll have some dazzling outings, where he'll go seven innings while allowing just a run or two, but for the most part he can be counted on to go at least five while giving up two or three, plenty good to keep his team in the game.

Irvin is in his first year of arbitration, earning $2 million, and will be in his second year of arbitration eligibility in 2025. He is under team control through the 2026 campaign.