Twins Add Christian Roa Off Waivers as Struggling Bullpen Prompts Depth Moves; Eric Wagaman Designated for Assignment

The Minnesota Twins continue to reshape their roster amid ongoing bullpen struggles, claiming right-handed reliever Christian Roa off waivers from the Houston Astros. In a corresponding move, the Twins designated infielder/outfielder Eric Wagaman for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster, according to reporting from The Athletic’s Dan Hayes.

Roa, who was recently designated for assignment by Houston after a short stint in their bullpen, has already been optioned to Triple-A St. Paul as Minnesota looks to evaluate him further before potentially giving him a major league opportunity.

Christian Roa Joins Twins After Brief Astros Stint

The 27-year-old right-hander appeared in seven games for the Astros this season, posting an 8.22 ERA over 8 2/3 innings before being removed from the roster. His brief run in Houston followed a limited but encouraging sample with the Miami Marlins in 2025, where he tossed three scoreless innings across two appearances.

Despite inconsistent major league results, Roa brings a lengthy minor league résumé, logging 380 innings with a 4.19 ERA, 450 strikeouts, and 231 walks. His profile suggests a pitcher with swing-and-miss capability, but also command inconsistencies that have limited his ability to stick at the MLB level.

Minnesota is expected to evaluate him in a lower-pressure environment at Triple-A St. Paul before determining whether he can contribute at the major league level later this season.

Pitch Arsenal and Development Profile

Roa’s pitching mix includes a mid-to-high-80s slider that he uses as his primary weapon, along with a mid-90s sinker, a four-seam fastball, and a high-80s changeup. His slider has been his most frequently used pitch in 2026, accounting for roughly 35% of his usage.

While his raw stuff has intrigued evaluators, command remains the key issue. His elevated walk rates throughout both his minor and major league career have consistently limited his ability to work efficiently through lineups.

The Twins will likely focus on refining his command profile while exploring whether his slider can play up as a consistent out pitch in high-leverage situations.

Twins Bullpen Struggles Driving Aggressive Depth Moves

This waiver claim is part of a broader organizational effort to stabilize a struggling Twins bullpen.

Minnesota’s relief corps has been one of the least effective units in baseball this season, ranking:

• 21st in bullpen ERA (4.70)
• 24th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.00)
• 23rd in walks per nine innings (4.80)

Those numbers reflect both a lack of swing-and-miss stuff and ongoing control issues—two areas the organization is clearly trying to address through low-cost, high-upside acquisitions.

Earlier in the week, the Twins also signed veteran reliever Luis García, a 39-year-old former Mets bullpen arm, and assigned him to Triple-A St. Paul. Roa now joins him as part of a growing group of experienced but inconsistent arms the Twins are cycling through their system in search of effective combinations.

St. Paul Becomes Testing Ground for MLB Experience

The Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul has effectively become a bullpen laboratory, featuring several pitchers with major league experience. Roa now joins a group that includes:

• Dan Altavilla
• Matt Bowman
• John Brebbia
• Grant Hartwig
• Zak Kent
• Julian Merryweather
• Travis Adams (currently on rehab assignment)

This depth-heavy approach suggests Minnesota is prioritizing flexibility and matchup options over fixed roles, at least until consistent major league performance emerges.

Eric Wagaman’s Roster Spot Clears After Struggles

To make room for Roa on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated Eric Wagaman for assignment, marking a disappointing turn for a player once viewed as a potential platoon contributor.

Minnesota acquired Wagaman from the Miami Marlins over the offseason in exchange for minor league reliever Kade Bragg, with expectations that he could provide depth across multiple positions and potentially handle a platoon role against left-handed pitching.

Wagaman’s defensive versatility—having played all four corner positions—was part of his appeal, as was his 2025 performance against left-handed pitching, where he posted a .283/.321/.462 slash line.

However, those expectations never materialized at Triple-A St. Paul.

Offensive Regression Leads to Roster Decision

Wagaman struggled significantly to begin the season, slashing just .159/.284/.254 across 74 plate appearances with St. Paul. The lack of offensive production, combined with limited roster flexibility, ultimately forced the Twins to move on.

Under roster rules, Minnesota now has five days to either trade Wagaman or place him on outright waivers. If he clears waivers, he will remain in the organization and likely return to Triple-A St. Paul.

While not an unexpected outcome given his performance, the move underscores how quickly depth players can fall out of favor in a system prioritizing immediate bullpen and roster stability.

Twins Continue Searching for Bullpen Solutions

The addition of Roa highlights a clear organizational theme: the Twins are actively cycling through arms in search of reliability.

Rather than relying on a single major bullpen acquisition, Minnesota appears to be casting a wide net—adding veterans, waiver claims, and minor league depth arms in hopes that a combination of adjustments and opportunity can stabilize late-inning performance.

Roa represents exactly the type of low-risk, high-reward pitcher teams often target in this phase of the season: controllable, talented enough to project improvement, but not yet established at the major league level.

Final Outlook: Low-Risk Move With Potential Upside

Christian Roa’s arrival does not dramatically change the Twins’ bullpen outlook, but it does reflect an organizational commitment to finding solutions internally and through targeted acquisitions.

If Roa can refine his command and regain consistency with his secondary pitches, he could emerge as a useful bullpen piece later in the season. If not, Minnesota has limited financial and roster risk in moving on.

For now, the Twins continue to experiment—searching for stability in a bullpen that has struggled to find it all year.