The Twins announced they have claimed right-handed reliever Jackson Kowar off waivers from the Mariners. Seattle had designated Kowar for assignment after acquiring catcher Jhonny Pereda from Minnesota in exchange for cash.
The Kansas City Royals selected Kowar from the University of Florida with the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. Baseball America had Kowar, 29, ranked No. 78 pre-2020 and No. 95 pre-2021 on its list of top 100 prospects. Despite the hype surrounding the righty, he has yet to live up to his potential. Still, with his fastball velocity ranking in the 90th percentile last year and the hype he had as a prospect, the Twins' decision to take a flier on the righty seems like a solid one.