There’s a saying in baseball that you can’t go home again. But for Taylor Rogers and the Minnesota Twins, they are hoping that maybe you can, and most importantly, it turns out to be a happy reunion.
A Familiar Arm in Unfamiliar Times
After a brutal 70-92 season that effectively reset the franchise, the Twins are looking backward to move forward, reportedly signing Rogers to a one-year, $2 million deal. It’s a reunion steeped in both nostalgia and necessity, a low-risk, high-familiarity move by a club that desperately needs innings, experience, and stability.
Rogers, now 35, was once a bullpen mainstay in Minnesota, emerging from an 11th-round draft slot in 2012 to become one of the league’s more quietly effective relievers. Fans will remember his breakout 2019, 30 saves, a 2.61 ERA, and an unflappable presence for a 101-win juggernaut. Two years later, he made the All-Star team. Then, he was gone
The Road Back to the Twins
What followed has been a journeyman stretch: five teams in four years, bouncing between bullpens with varying results. Last year, he split time between the Reds and Cubs. With Cincinnati, Rogers looked rejuvenated: a sharp 2.45 ERA, solid command, and flashes of the old slider. In Chicago, however, he was less effective, posting a 5.09 ERA and struggling with consistency.
This signing isn’t about recapturing a prime, though. It’s about a familiar face helping guide a new era. The 2025 fire sale left the Twins with holes all over the pitching staff, and with the fourth-worst ERA in the AL last year, they’ll need someone like Rogers not just to pitch, but to lead.
Rebuilding with Roots
He won’t close games. He may not even pitch in high-leverage spots. But he knows the clubhouse. He knows the city. And in a year when the Twins are starting from square one, sometimes it’s helpful to have someone who remembers what it looked like when it was whole.
Opening Day is set for March 26 against Baltimore. Whether Rogers plays a big role in 2026 or not, his presence signals something deeper: a team trying to re-anchor itself, with a little help from its past.
