Twins Add RP Kevin Jepsen from Rays

He is exactly the type of pickup that the Twins needed to make in order to shore up their bullpen for the stretch run.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have acquired right-handed reliever Kevin Jepsen from the Tampa Bay Rays for two minor league pitching prospects. The Twins have been seeking bullpen help and appear to have landed their man. Jepsen has had a nice year in Tampa, putting up a 2.81 ERA while striking out 34 across 41 2/3 innings.

Tapia was 1-2 with a 3.82 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 33 innings for Elizabethton in rookie ball.

Just prior to Friday afternoon’s non-waiver trade deadline, the Twins traded for right-hander Kevin Jepsen from the Rays.

The Twins have been looking for a bullpen piece to join Glen Perkins, who has had an outstanding 2015 season with a 2.36 ERA and 29 saves. His strikeout to walk ratio was just 1.70-to-1 as his 7.3 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9 were all his worst since 2011. He’ll be eligible for another raise through his final arbitration season in 2016, which should put his salary figure in the range of $4 million. The report notes that while Jepsen should be an upgrade over Blaine Boyer and Casey Fien his strikeout rate is underwhelming and his control is poor.

“I’ve reminiscences of him arising and being an enormous contributor to some very profitable Angels groups”, Twins supervisor Paul Molitor stated.

To make room for Jepsen on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar for assignment. The Twins now hold a two game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. “I can inform you, he’s a top quality man within the clubhouse and he’s going to pump these guys up”. “I’m glad they went and got it done”. He was signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent out of Taiwan in 2012. “I think that’s a safe assessment that our system’s pretty healthy and we should be able to afford a couple young pitchers”.

Ryan said he wasn’t against acquiring a “rent-a-player” – a player whose contract was up at the end of the season.

The other prospect the Twins gave up was Alexis Tapia, a 19-year-old from Venezuela.

Overall Thielbar, a native Minnesota, is 5-3 for the Twins with a 2.74 ERA in parts of three seasons with Minnesota.