The Twins have parted ways with closer Alexander Colome, who struggled through the 2021 season after blowing a save on Opening Day.
Twins decline option on closer Alexander Colome, claim pitcher Jharel Cotton from Texas
Colome blew a save on Opening Day, and things didn't get much better. Outfielder Rob Refsnyder also was cut from the 40-man roster.
November 5, 2021 at 7:09PM
The Twins will pay $1.25 million to decline Colome's option for 2022, when he would have earned $5.5 million, up from the $5 million he made this past season. Colome also had an option to bail out of the contract, but that would have negated the buyout.
In Colome's wake, the Twins claimed Texas Rangers pitcher Jharel Cotton off waivers.
Cotton, a 29-year-old righthander appeared in 23 games with a 2-0 record and 3.52 ERA last season. He began his MLB career as a starter for Oakland from 2016-17, but elbow surgery knocked him out of the 2018 season.
Oakland traded the U.S. Virgin Islands native to the Cubs in 2019, but Chicago ultimately released him after Cotton resisted moving to a bullpen role. But he'd had a change of heart by the time the Rangers signed him to a minor league contract in December 2020, and he moved up to the team's active roster this past July to finish the season as a reliever.
Colome, 32, was 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA and 17 saves in 67 games. He had seven blown saves, and his save percentage of .708 was lowest among all MLB pitchers who had five or more saves.
He blew a save on Opening Day, giving up a three-run lead in Milwaukee, and struggled through the early season — opponents had a .906 OPS against him in March and April, when his ERA was 8.31.
Colome led the American League with 47 saves for Tampa Bay in 2017. When asked about his status in September, he said, through an interpreter, "I would like to come back. I have a good relationship with my teammates. I have a good relationship and communications with the coaching staff. I like it here. But at the same time, that is a business decision the team will have to decide."
He now becomes a free agent. Two other Twins, pitcher Michael Pineda and shortstop Andrelton Simmons, also became free agents when the World Series ended.
The Twins, with players from the 60-day injured list needing to be reinstated by Sunday, outrighted outfielder Rob Refsnyder off the 40-man roster.
Refsnyder, who signed a minor league contract last offseason, came up from Triple-A St. Paul when center fielders Byron Buxton and Jake Cave sustained lengthy injuries. The 30-year-old Refsnyder played in 51 games in 2021, batting .245 with two home runs and 12 RBI. But he also spent time on the injured list with a concussion and a hamstring issue.
There are now 31 players on the 40-man roster.
The eight Twins headed for arbitration are Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro, Griffin Jax and Trevor Larnach.
