Twins release minor league LHP Mason Melotakis

The Twins announced Friday afternoon that they have released minor league relief pitcher Mason Melotakis. Though Melotakis, 26, has yet to pitch in the majors, he was once on the 40-man roster and considered a promising bullpen arm. It was a bit surprising when the team removed Melotakis from the 40-man roster a little under a year ago, and again surprising now that he’s apparently out of the organization.

The Twins originally drafted Melotakis in the second round of the 2012 draft. In 2016, MLB.com ranked him as the 26th best prospect in the organization. Unfortunately, Melotakis’s career has been plagued with injuries, but it seemed like he was at least healthy again this year. He started off the season in Triple-A, posting a 3.07 ERA with 14 strikeouts and five walks over 14.2 innings. In 2017, Melotakis had a 2.42 ERA with 31 strikeouts over 26.0 innings in Double-A, and a 4.07 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 24.1 innings in Triple-A.

Clearly, for one reason or another, the new regime of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine just didn’t regard Melotakis in the same light as Terry Ryan. As a left-handed pitcher with decent numbers, however, Melotakis should be able to find a new employer soon.

Best of luck, Melo.