Brock Stewart, Michael Tonkin and Justin Topa combined to throw 34⅓ innings for the Twins last season. They’ll combine to earn about $3 million next season.
Twins agree to deals with Brock Stewart, Michael Tonkin and Justin Topa at the MLB non-tender deadline
The eight Twins headed for arbitration are Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro, Griffin Jax and Trevor Larnach.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 23, 2024 at 1:49AM
Both the team and the players hope both numbers take big jumps a year from now.
All three relievers agreed to new contracts on Friday, settling on salaries a bit over the MLB minimum in order to remain in Minnesota.
Stewart will be paid $870,000, a source with knowledge of the contract confirmed, $30,000 less than in 2024 — but with $30,000 in incentives available. Tonkin will earn $1 million, matching his 2024 salary.
Topa, who made $1.25 million last season, will be guaranteed at least $1.225 million — he gets $1 million next season, and $2 million in 2026 with a club option that has a $225,000 buyout if the Twins don’t pick it up.
Friday was the deadline for teams to offer 2025 contracts to their arbitration-eligible players — generally, those with between three and six years of major league service — or allow them to become free agents.
The Twins met that requirement, the team said, with the other eight of their 11 eligible players: pitchers Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan, catcher Ryan Jeffers, infielders Willi Castro and Royce Lewis and outfielder Trevor Larnach.
Arbitration hearings will be held in January, giving the Twins time to negotiate salaries, and perhaps even long-term commitments, with those players. If no deal is reached, both sides will submit requested salaries, and an arbitrator will choose one.
Topa and Stewart, both 33, were expected to play major roles in the Twins’ bullpen in 2024, but instead were injured for most of the season, Topa after tearing a knee tendon during spring training, and Stewart with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Tonkin, 35, was claimed off waivers twice by the Twins, once from the Mets in April, a tenure that lasted only one appearance, and again from the Yankees in late August.
The speculation surrounding shortstop Carlos Correa’s availability in a trade was overblown this week, Twins officials indicated at the winter meetings in Dallas.
