Louie Varland returns to Target Field for first time since trade

The Twins entered Thursday’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays fresh off a gut-punching loss a day earlier.

Three runs scored and the Twins dropped a game that had looked winnable.

The Twins bullpen has been among the worst in the majors this season.

Coincidentally, on Thursday, in walked a man who could’ve improved the outlook of the bullpen dramatically: Louie Varland.

Varland returned to Target Field for the first time since, with a 0.56 ERA and having allowed just one earned run through his first 15 appearances this season.

He had struck out 26 batters in 16 innings entering Thursday’s game, and is pitching better than ever.

“Things are just working out, just doing my job and taking it one pitch, one day at a time,” Varland said.

Varland said the four game-set against his former teammates was “just another series and all business.” He also admitted there might be a little more banter than normal with the Blue Jays’ and Twins’ bullpens situated near each other.

On the other side of things, the Twins’ bullpen is struggling and the Twins have yet to see the talent they acquired much at the major league level.

Outfielder Alan Roden began the season at Triple-A and is now dealing with a labrum tear in his shoulder.

Kendry Rojas, a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher, made his major league debut last week and threw two scoreless innings before being optioned back to Triple-A.

Rojas is one of the team’s top pitching prospects.

“It’s hard to part with someone like Louie Varland that has that talent and all the other factors that come with him,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said.

“Unfortunately, you have to make some hard calls along the way and that was undoubtedly one of the tougher ones from last July.”
Of course, it’s far too early to judge the trade.

Everyone involved is still young.

Varland won’t be a free agent until after the 2030 season, and the Twins believe Roden and Rojas have promising futures ahead of them.

But in the short term, it still stings for Twins fans to see Varland, a North St.

Paul High School and Concordia University alum, pitching elsewhere.

Varland endeared himself to the fanbase with his electric stuff and habit of barking at teammates, cameras and anyone in sight.

“I know it was challenging on a host of fronts — for the fan base, for our decisions to make internally,” Zoll said.

“We did everything we could to put ourselves in the best position for the future.”
Zoll was responsible for calling Varland and delivering the news.

He called it “one of the more challenging calls,” he’s made along the way, noting that Varland was upset and surprised by the news.

Most of the trades at last year’s deadline sell-off can be easily explained.

Five of the players were free agents at season’s end.

Carlos Correa was shipped off as part of a salary dump.

For as good as Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax had been, the Twins received two young starters — Mick Abel and Taj Bradley — in return.

Both have impacted the team immediately.

But the Varland trade, from the beginning, was the one that drew most criticism and confusion.

He was not expensive, nor an impending free agent.

With Duran and Jax on the way out, he could have easily slid into the closer role for the Twins.

“I think everybody in a bullpen wants to close games as the end goal of their career,” Varland said.

“Of course, you have to earn it.

I think every bullpen piece has that aspiration.”