Twins sign Craig Breslow to minor league deal

Remember Craig Breslow? He was a solid reliever for the Twins for a year before they inexplicably cut him (in favor of Sean Henn!) because he was going through a bit of a rough patch the following season. Well, Breslow himself announced that he signed a minor league contract to return to the Twins organization for 2017.

The 36-year old has a career 3.35 ERA though his FIP and xFIP have been significantly higher. He hasn’t really been good for three years now, but Breslow announced that he was going to change his arm slot from a three-quarters to a low-three-quarters (perhaps even sidearm) to revive his career. Several teams were interested and perhaps it was Breslow’s familiarity with the Twins that caused him to come back to Minnesota.

Though the Twins received a solid year from Taylor Rogers and they also have Ryan O’Rourke and Buddy Boshers, Breslow’s presence is likely to add some more competition as a second lefty out of the bullpen. I do feel Breslow could be better than O’Rourke, but it’s a little more questionable if he can supplant Boshers or Rogers.

Overall, it’s not an impact signing but it should be viewed in the same vein as Matt Belisle: a veteran pitcher that can be used in a variety of roles.