Stewart elects free agency; Gonsalves claimed by Mets

Along with the announcements earlier today, the Minnesota Twins had made a couple of other moves to clear space on the 40-man roster:

• Do-Hyoung Park from MLB.com was first to break news that Stephen Gonsalves was put on waivers by the Twins and then claimed by the New York Mets. Gonsalves was a fourth-round pick in the 2013 draft and had seen major-league action in 2018, posting a 6.57 ERA in 24.2 innings of work over seven appearances. He didn’t pitch much in 2019 due to an elbow injury, but the Mets still get a pitcher with some potential.
• Dustin Morse, Communications and Player Relations Director for the team, announced possibly a more surprising move: Kohl Stewart was outrighted by Minnesota. He has rejected his assignment and has declared to be a free agent. Stewart saw time with the Twins this season and last year, racking up 17 appearances and 62 innings of work. He posted a 4.79 ERA between both years along with a 1.461 ERA. He strike out 34 batters but walked 26 in comparison.
• The Twins also made it official that they have exercised the club option on Nelson Cruz that was reported some time ago.

With these moves, the Twins now have 31 players on their 40-man roster.