The Twins and Topa avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Friday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul says the deal is worth $1.225 million. Topa had been viewed as a non-tender candidate, but he will stick around and could be a high-leverage reliever again on Twins team unlikely to make any big offseason bullpen additions. The righty held a 3.90 ERA and 49:18 K:BB over 60 innings in 2025, posting a 46.7 percent groundball rate along the way.

The Twins declined Topa's $2 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Topa remains in the organization, as he has another year of team control via arbitration eligibility. The righty reliever collected a 3.90 ERA and 49:18 K:BB over 60 innings out of the Twins' bullpen in 2025, notching four saves along the way. Topa could see high-leverage innings again in 2026 as part of an unsettled Minnesota relief corps.

The Twins placed Topa on the 15-day injured list Friday due to a left oblique strain.

EDGE Analysis

Topa was removed from Sunday's game with left knee discomfort, but he'll head to the injured list Friday with a different ailment. The 34-year-old has been serving as a high-leverage arm since Jhoan Duran was dealt to the Phillies. He's blown two of his six save chances during that stretch and has allowed seven runs (six earned) across his last nine appearances. Cody Laweryson was brought up from Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk and Michael Tonkin are candidates for save chances.

Topa left Sunday's win over Kansas City in the ninth inning due to left knee discomfort, MLB.com reports. "I had the doctor look at it and he said that structurally, everything looks good," said Topa.

EDGE Analysis

Topa was set to record a save but exited with one out left with the Twins holding a 5-1 lead. Genesis Cabrera recorded the final out for the save. While Topa says his knee is fine, he may need a few days off. His injury is a worry because he missed almost the entire 2024 season due to patellar tendinitis and a small tear in the patellar tendon in his left knee.

Topa (1-5) was charged with the loss and a blown save in a 4-3 defeat to the White Sox on Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits and no walks with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.

EDGE Analysis

That's now consecutive blown saves for Topa, who has now given up at least one run in four straight outings. Given the right-hander's recent struggles, it wouldn't be surprising to see manager Rocco Baldelli turn to a different high-leverage arm, such as Cole Sands or Kody Funderburk, for Minnesota's next save chance. Topa has a 4.03 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 58 innings.

Topa allowed a run on two hits in one inning of work while earning a save over Toronto on Tuesday. He struck out one batter.

EDGE Analysis

Topa was given a 7-4 lead in the ninth inning and worked around an RBI double by Daulton Varsho to convert the save chance. It was Topa's fourth save of the year, and they've all come since Aug. 5. He's converted all four of his save chances and earned one hold since the trade deadline. During that span, Topa owns a 1.53 ERA across 11.2 innings.

Topa notched the save in Friday's 9-7 win over the White Sox, allowing two hits and one walk with no strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless innings.

EDGE Analysis

Topa registered save No. 3 on the year, and each of those have come following the trade deadline. The right-hander appears to have the upper hand over Cole Sands, who worked the seventh inning Friday, in Minnesota's closer committee in the aftermath of the Jhoan Duran trade. Topa has a 0.84 ERA over 10.2 innings in August, whereas Sands owns a 4.50 ERA across his 10 frames this month.

Topa recorded the save in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Yankees, striking out one and allowing one hit and no walks in two scoreless innings.

EDGE Analysis

Topa finished off the Yankees to net his second save of the season, working multiple frames for the first time since July 26 versus the Nationals. The 34-year-old right-hander is operating in tandem with Cole Sands for Minnesota's closer gig after the Twins shipped out Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax at the trade deadline, though Sands has given up five runs over six appearances this month. Topa, on the other hand, has pitched seven shutout frames to open August, improving his ERA to 3.55 and his WHIP to 1.30 to go with a 44:13 K:BB for the year.

Topa struck out one batter in a perfect ninth inning to earn a save against Detroit on Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

Topa threw 12 of his 15 pitches for strikes and quickly retired the Tigers' 8-9-1 batters to preserve the 6-3 win. He joined Erasmo Ramirez as the two bullpen arms to record saves for the Twins since the team traded Jhoan Duran at the deadline. Topa owns a 3.86 ERA and a 41:12 K:BB through 46.2 saves this season. It was his first save with Minnesota, and he entered Tuesday's contest with three in his career, all of which came during his final season with Seattle in 2023. Cole Sands allowed two runs in the eighth inning Tuesday, and it appears the Twins are still working out how the bullpen arms will be utilized moving forward.

Topa is likely to be used as the primary setup man ahead of new closer Cole Sands after the Twins traded most of their bullpen Thursday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He allowed a hit in a scoreless seventh inning in Friday's 3-2 loss against the Guardians.

EDGE Analysis

Topa was used in the seventh inning with the Twins tied 2-2, which was a high-leverage role but he was not being used with a lead. Still, Baldelli's comments show he'll have an increased role in the bullpen and could be a candidate for save chances if Sands struggles.