The twins put their right hand Garrett Acton on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder strain. To replace him in the active list, they chose the contract of the right partners Luis García. Making room for Garcia in the 40 man, that’s fine Zak Kent selected for assignment. Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune was the first to report on the move.
Garcia is a 39-year-old veteran who made his senior debut back in 2013. He began this campaign with the Mets on a one-year contract worth $1.75MM. The Mets quickly pulled the plug on García shortly after six innings of poor results and decreased velocity. After being released, he landed with the Twins on a minor league deal.
As recently as last year, García was a successful big leaguer. He split the season between the Dodgers, Nationals and Angels, throwing 55 1/3 innings with a 3.42 earned run average. His 20.6% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate were low but his 49.7% ground ball rate was quite strong.
But as mentioned, his 2026 season got off to a rough start. He allowed five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. His sinker is averaging 94 miles per hour after it was 96.9 mph last year. Since joining the Twins, he has made two Triple-A appearances, allowing one run in two innings. His sinker velocity dropped to 96.2 mph in that small sample.
The Twins will put him in their bullpen to protect against Acton’s injuries. Less commitment from a financial perspective. Assuming his contract with the Mets did not have an enhanced opt-out clause, which would mean his salary would not be guaranteed until 45 days into the season, the Mets are in a position to receive the remainder of his $1.75MM salary. The Twins will only have to pay him the league minimum amount for any time he spends on the roster. García has enough additional service time to be eligible to decline the minor league option but the Twins could decide to cut him at some point if things don’t go well, due to the limited commitment.
Kent, 28, seems as frustrated as a guy who should be registered but a little. He climbed the waiver wire this offseason, going from the Guardians to the Cardinals, Rangers, Cardinals and, finally, the Twins.
He broke camp with Minnesota this year but made just two appearances, allowing two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, before being optioned to the minors. Combined with his work with the guards last year, he now has a 4.64 ERA in 21 1/3 major league innings.
His recent career in the minors has featured punchouts but also craziness. Since the start of 2024, he has thrown 73 1/3 innings on the farm with a 4.17 ERA, a solid 27.9% strikeout rate but a high 14.2% walk rate.
Now he has been thrown back into DFA limbo, a process that could take up to a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Twins could take as long as five days to evaluate trade interest, though they could put Kent on early waivers if they choose. His results have been inconsistent over the past few years but he can still be an option throughout this season, which could attract clubs looking for more depth. It is clear that other clubs like him are starting from all complaints to withdraw this winter.
Photo courtesy of Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images
