Twins strike in free agency by signing Huascar Ynoa to minor-league deal

Ynoa, 26, was first identified by the Twins more than a dozen years ago.

Sep 25, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa (19) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Ray Acevedo-Imagn Images / Ray Acevedo-Imagn Images

If the reported signing of Huascar Ynoa could be sensed on the Richter scale, it would barely move the needle. But like an earthquake is an earthquake regardless of how many people feel the shaking, a signing is a signing in Major League Baseball no matter how impactful the incoming player will be.

And for a Minnesota Twins team that has done next to nothing in free agency and is rumored to be trying to shed money to maintain a payroll equal to last season's $130 million budget, Tuesday's report of Ynoa inking a deal with the Twins is newsworthy.

It's just a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training, according to Stephanie Apstein, but Ynoa does come with a little bit of upside.

Ynoa, 26, hasn't pitched in the big leagues since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022, but there's a chance that his life was predestined for a prominent return to the team that signed him when he was 15 years old as an amateur free agent way back in 2014.

In 2017, the Twins traded Ynoa as part of a package to the Braves for left-hander Jaime Garcia. Ynoa pitched sparingly for the Braves in 2018, 2019 and 2022, but he posted a 4.05 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 91 innings across 18 games (17 starts) in 2021.

At Triple-A this past summer, Ynoa had a 6.15 ERA in 12 appearances. He struck out 22 batters in 25 innings.

In 2022, his fastball velocity ranked in the 87th percentile at an average of 96.4 mph. According to Brooks Baseball, his four-seam fastball averaged 94.6 mph in the minors last season.

Dan Hayes reported Monday that there's a chance the Twins look to shed salary by trading right-handers Chris Paddack, Bailey Ober, Jhoan Duran and/or Griffin Jax, and if that's the case then Ynoa would be an option to compete for a long relief spot or Minnesota could look to turn him into a late-inning arm if they think they can increase his velocty and improve his swing-and-miss stuff.

We'll see what happens, but this is the kind of move that presents little risk with a bit of upside.