Report: Twins reliever Matt Bowman exercising his opt-out clause

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman , Minnesota Twins reliever Matt Bowman is exercising an opt-out clause in his contract. The clause states that the Twins must add him to the major league roster by Monday or allow him to become a free agent.

Bowman is a former top pitching prospect and debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016 before injuries forced him out of the major leagues from 2020 until 2023. Claimed by the Twins on waivers last offseason, Bowman has appeared for three different teams this season (Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners) but has had his most success with the Twins, allowing two earned runs with four walks and six strikeouts in 7.2 innings.

Bowman has also seen success at Triple-A St. Paul, compiling a 1.37 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 1.01 WHIP. Heyman also reports that Bowman has made an adjustment and moved to the third base side of the rubber, which has helped him strike out 11 batters over his last 8.2 innings.

This gives the Twins a decision to make. Minnesota has leaned on Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax on the back end of the bullpen but has had trouble getting to them in recent weeks. The injury to Joe Ryan could also force the Twins to lean on their bullpen more, which is also an issue after the team announced that Brock Stewart will undergo season-ending surgery.

With Justin Topa also not ready to return from a knee injury, the Twins could add Bowman to the roster on an experimental basis and see if his adjustment translates to the major league level. They have until Monday to make that decision.

Article courtesy of Athlon Sports writer Chris Schad.