Just In: Minnesota’s Triple-A team announces the signing of Veteran LH to Minor League Deal

The Twins have enlisted Caleb Baragar, a left-handed pitcher, through a minor league contract, as disclosed by Minnesota’s Triple-A team in St. Paul.

Baragar is making his re-entry into affiliated baseball after a stint this year with the Lancaster Stormers in the independent Atlantic League. In three starts, the 30-year-old pitched 16 innings, conceding seven runs (four earned) while impressively striking out 18 batters and walking only five. The Twins’ scouts saw promise in his performance, prompting them to offer him a non-roster opportunity.

Originally from Indiana, Baragar played in the major leagues for the Giants from 2020 to 2021, primarily as a reliever, boasting a 2.78 ERA over 45 1/3 innings. Despite this, his average strikeout and walk rates led to his designation for assignment by the Giants during Spring Training in 2022. He was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks but was soon removed from their roster. Baragar struggled in Triple-A over the last couple of years and hasn’t made it back to the majors since his designation.

In his last Triple-A stint with Arizona’s affiliate two seasons ago, Baragar posted a 5.51 ERA in 47 1/3 innings. His performance didn’t improve last year after signing a minor league deal with the Guardians, as he was hit hard, yielding 6.54 earned runs per nine innings in 23 appearances. Although he managed a respectable 27.9% strikeout rate, his walk rate was excessively high at 18.4%. Cleveland released him in early August.

Now, he aims to reclaim a spot in the majors with the Twins’ AL Central rivals. While Baragar had been utilized as a starter in the Atlantic League, he has predominantly served as a reliever during his time in affiliated baseball over the past four years. The Twins have Caleb Thielbar, Kody Funderburk, and Steven Okert as left-handed options in the MLB bullpen, but they lack experienced alternatives beyond this trio in their upper minor league ranks.