Andrew Chafin competes for spot in Twins' bullpen after frustrating free agency

The 12-year veteran left-handed reliever signed a minor league deal with an invite to Twins spring training.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Andrew Chafin, a 12-year major league veteran, signed a minor league deal with an invite to spring training with the Minnesota Twins after a frustrating free agency process. Chafin, who posted a 2.41 ERA across 33 2/3 innings last season split between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels, is competing for a spot in the Twins' bullpen, which has a glut of left-handed relievers.

Why it matters

Chafin's journey through free agency highlights the challenges veteran players can face in finding opportunities, even after productive seasons. The Twins' crowded bullpen competition also reflects the team's efforts to build pitching depth ahead of the upcoming season.

The details

Chafin said his free agency process was just as frustrating as the previous year, when he signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers in late February. Despite a solid 2025 season, Chafin felt he was not getting the opportunities he deserved in free agency. He eventually decided to take a minor league deal with an invite to major league camp with the Twins, believing it would give him the best chance to break camp with a team.

  • Chafin signed a minor league deal with the Twins with an invite to spring training in 2026.

The players

Andrew Chafin

A 12-year major league veteran left-handed reliever who is competing for a spot in the Twins' bullpen after signing a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

Derek Shelton

The manager of the Minnesota Twins.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I know how to get guys out and the computer doesn't understand”

— Andrew Chafin (twincities.com)

“I don't know (expletive) about baseball outside my little bubble. 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.”

— Andrew Chafin (twincities.com)

“I know how to pitch. Most of the young bucks these days know how to throw hard. 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.”

— Andrew Chafin (twincities.com)

“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.”

— Derek Shelton, Manager (twincities.com)

What’s next

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.

The takeaway

Chafin's journey through free agency highlights the challenges veteran players can face in finding opportunities, even after productive seasons. The Twins' crowded bullpen competition reflects the team's efforts to build pitching depth ahead of the upcoming season, underscoring the value of having multiple capable arms in the bullpen.