Twins To Sign Jose Espada To Minor League Deal

The Twins are expected to add right-hander Jose Espada on a minor league agreement, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Espada spent last season with the Orioles. He’s represented by The MAS Agency. Espada, not to be confused with former Astros manager Joe Espada, has made three MLB appearances over the past four years. He’s yet to allow a run across five innings. There was a year in Japan mixed in between his stints in the majors. Espada’s lone MLB outing this season came as the extra man for a doubleheader against the Astros in April. He finished off a blowout win with a scoreless ninth inning. The majority of Espada’s 2026 campaign was spent in Triple-A Norfolk’s bullpen. He had a solid year, tossing 48 2/3 frames with a 2.77 ERA and just over a strikeout per inning. Espada picked up eight saves with the Tides. The main flaw was a 12.7% walk rate. As tends to be the case with veteran relievers who struggle to get a look in the majors, Espada has had decent strikeout numbers but big walk issues. Espada flashed a solid three-pitch mix at Norfolk. He led with a slider, which he threw more than 40% of the time. He backed it with a four-seamer that sat around 94 mph. Espada also throws a 90 mph splitter. The arsenal has generated a strong swinging-strike rate in the minors, including a 14.2% mark in 2026. Minnesota brought in bullpen reinforcements last summer, acquiring Jeff Hoffman and Tommy Nance from the Blue Jays and A.J. Minter from the Mets. Minter is a free agent, but Hoffman and Nance are still under contract. The former has a good shot at being the closer in 2027. It’s generally an unproven group, so reinforcements could be needed this offseason. Espada could work his way into the mix with a strong showing in the spring. Photo courtesy of Jamie Sabau, Imagn Images View Comments (2)