Twins sign Blewett, Duarte, three others to minor-league contracts

Scott Blewett pitched in 12 games for the Twins this season.

Sep 9, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Scott Blewett (60) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning at Target Field. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Twins have signed five players to minor-league contracts, per their official transactions page: RHP Scott Blewett, RHP Daniel Duarte, IF Yunior Severino, LHP Gabriel Yanez, and LHP Rafael Marcano.

Blewett, Duarte, and Severino were among five players removed from the Twins' 40-man roster earlier this month. They all elected free agency but have now wound up back with the organization, just not on the 40-man.

The most notable name is Blewett, who pitched 20.1 innings across 12 games for the Twins in the second half of this season. He had a 1.77 ERA in that small sample size, with 18 strikeouts and 8 walks. The 28-year-old previously appeared in MLB with the Royals.

Duarte also briefly saw the field for the Twins this season, throwing four innings in two games at the start of the year before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery in April. The Mexico native pitched 31.2 innings for the Reds in 2023.

The other three players have never reached the big leagues. Severino is a 25-year-old infielder with a good chance to get there at some point; he hit 35 home runs with an .898 OPS across AA and AAA in 2023. His 2024 was a bit quieter, as he hit 21 homers with a .775 OPS for Triple-A St. Paul. His power will likely get him an MLB opportunity sooner or later, whether that's in Minnesota or elsewhere.

Yanez and Marcano are left-handed pitchers with some potential upside. Yanez, 25, had a 2.26 ERA and 10 saves in 55.2 innings for High-A Cedar Rapids last season. He was acquired in a trade with the Phillies in 2023. Marcano, 24, pitched well for Cedar Rapids last year but then allowed 14 walks and 13 runs in 7 innings with Double-A Wichita. He also came from the Phillies organization via the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft last December.