Twins' Griffin Jax: Not sharp in regular season debut
Rotowire
Jax allowed a run on a home run and a walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning Thursday against the Cardinals.
Jax wasn't sharp in his first outing of the season as he was pulled after 21 pitches. Jax will reprise his late inning setup role again this season and should see some save chances when Jhoan Duran is used earlier in the game or unavailable.
Jax and the Twins avoided arbitration Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.365 million contract, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Jax was arbitration eligible for the first time, coming off a 2024 campaign in which he turned in a tidy 2.03 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 95:15 K:BB while collecting five wins, 10 saves and 24 holds in 71 innings out of the bullpen. Though reports earlier in the offseason suggested that Jax could be a candidate to move into the rotation in 2025, general manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed Wednesday that the right-hander will remain a key part of the late-inning ranks during the upcoming season. Jhoan Duran will presumably head into spring training as the Twins' preferred closer, but Jax will likely be first in line for save chances if Duran misses time or is removed from the role for performance-related reasons.
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Twins' Griffin Jax: Will remain in bullpen
Rotowire
Jax will remain in the Twins' bullpen rather than move into the rotation, general manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed Wednesday, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The Twins' coaching staff indicated earlier in the offseason that a shift to the rotation for Jax was a possibility, but it appears it's no longer being considered. Jax was a starting pitcher in the minors and made 14 starts for the Twins in 2021, but he's since blossomed as a reliever, most recently posting a 2.03 ERA and 95:15 K:BB over 71 innings in 2024. The 30-year-old will enter the upcoming season as Minnesota's top setup man, but he picked up 10 saves last season and, with manager Rocco Baldelli not committed to traditional bullpen roles, Jax should see some save chances in 2025.
Twins' Griffin Jax: Move to rotation not ruled out
Rotowire
Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler indicated in a recent interview that the team is open to the possibility of moving Jax into the rotation, Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio reports.
Jax came up through the minors as a starting pitcher and made 14 starts for the Twins in 2021, posting a 6.10 ERA. He's since turned into a lockdown reliever, most recently collecting a 2.03 ERA and 95:15 K:BB over 71 innings this season. With a five-pitch mix and past starting experience, Jax would seem more equipped for a shift to the rotation than most relievers. The question is whether the uptick in stuff since his move to relief would translate back to a starting role.
Jax yielded an unearned run and struck out one batter in one inning Friday. He earned a save in the extra-innings win over Boston.
Jax allowed the automatic runner to score after a pair of groundouts in the 12th inning but had no trouble finishing off the 4-2 victory. It was his second save over his last three appearances after not converting one since Aug. 5. Jhoan Duran threw a scoreless eighth inning while the game was tied 1-1. Jax has racked up 10 saves while posting an impressive 91:15 K:BB and 2.10 ERA through 68.2 innings this season.
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