FORT MYERS, Fla. — Andrew Chafin’s trip through free agency was a frustrating one. Just as frustrating, he said, as his journey a year prior that ended with him signing a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers in late February.
The left-handed reliever was coming off of a solid 2025 season split between the Washington Nationals — he signed there after opting out of his Tigers deal — and Los Angeles Angels and felt like he had put himself in a position to have multiple options. But, “I know how to get guys out and the computer doesn’t understand,” the 35-year-old veteran said.
Eventually, as camp began, he decided to take what he deemed the best opportunity available to him: a minor league deal with an invite to major league camp with the Twins.
With bullpen spots available, Chafin figured this would be the best opportunity to break camp with a team. At least, that’s what he was told.
“I don’t know (expletive) about baseball outside my little bubble,” he said. “I’ve got enough problems of my own to worry about, so that’s all I worry about. I’ve never been a fan of baseball. I don’t watch anything but what I’m doing. I let my agent do all the digging on that stuff. He knows what he’s doing. I know how to pitch.”
That he does.
He is, after all, a 12-year major league veteran, one who seems to be sought after at the trade deadline every year for contending teams, even if free agency isn’t playing out the way he would like. Chafin posted a 2.41 earned-run average across 33 2/3 innings last season.
“I know how to pitch. Most of the young bucks these days know how to throw hard,” Chafin said. “They don’t know what to do with it yet. It took me a while into my career to figure that out. I know how to pitch, and that’s why I’m good at pitching. … I know who I am as a pitcher, what I’m good at, and how to get outs with what I have.”
The Twins signed lefty Taylor Rogers to a one-year deal this offseason. They picked up Anthony Banda in a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the beginning of spring training. Kody Funderburk had a strong finish to the 2025 season after the deadline.
All of a sudden, the Twins have a glut of lefties competing for spots. Right now, there’s no telling how many they may break camp with.
“I think we’re good with whoever’s the best pitchers to leave when we break here,” manager Derek Shelton said. “If you tell me that we leave and everybody’s healthy and we have to make challenging decisions, I’ve learned over the course of time, you can never have too much pitching.”
ABS testing
Ryan Jeffers responded to the first pitch he saw from Rogers during live batting practice with a tap on the helmet. The Twins started to familiarize themselves with the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system during live batting practice Wednesday, with Jeffers challenging a call immediately.
“I felt bad it was the first pitch, because that umpire probably hadn’t seen a pitch since last November,” Shelton said. “But ultimately, yeah, it’s good to be able to use it.”
Players tested it out the system last spring, and it has been in use in the minor leagues in recent years. But starting this season, it will be used at the major league level, giving players the chance to appeal an umpire’s ball-strike call. The decision will then be either confirmed or overturned by the ABS challenge system. Teams will have two challenges that are retained when successful.
There’s still plenty for the Twins to work through as they adapt to the new system, but there’s one thing that stands out early: catchers and batters will be doing much more of the challenging than pitchers.
“I don’t think pitchers are going to be probably the most astute at it, and they’re also the most emotional with it,” Shelton said.
Briefly
The Twins have one more day of workouts before they start game play. Zebby Matthews will take the ball Friday when the Twins play host to the University of Minnesota. The day after that, they begin Grapefruit League play against the Boston Red Sox.
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