Ynoa was cut loose after struggling in five relief appearances this season for Triple-A St. Paul. The 26-year-old righty signed a minor league deal last December and hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since undergoing Tommy John surgery back in 2022.

Ynoa represents a fascinating low-risk gamble for Minnesota as extra organizational depth after being non-tendered last month by the Braves. The 26-year-old righty hasn’t appeared in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery back in 2022 and the strikeouts simply weren’t there in the minors last year upon returning to the mound. He’s the definition of a reclamation project for the Twins heading into 2025.

Ynoa served as valuable rotation depth for the Braves during the 2023 season, but he was knocked around in each of his two starts at the big-league level in 2024. He was only projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $825,000 via arbitration, so the Braves must think that they have better depth options already and considered Ynoa to be expendable.

Ynoa hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since undergoing Tommy John surgery back in 2022, so it’s highly unlikely the Braves see him as a starter this season. However, he has worked out of the bullpen before and could provide some length out of the pen for the Braves in September if his Triple-A starts go well.