ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

D-backs take flier on RHP Josh Winder with spring training invite

Jan 24, 2025, 3:32 PM

Josh Winder, Diamondbacks...

Josh Winder #74 of the Minnesota Twins warms-up in the bottom of the second inning of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 16, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

(Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Josh Winder, a right-handed relief pitcher, is signing a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Triple-A Reno Aces announced on Thursday.

Winder will receive an invitation to major league spring training for a chance to compete for a roster spot.

The Diamondbacks are taking a flier on a 6-foot-5 hurler who has been with the Minnesota Twins since the 2018 draft. At one point, he was considered a top 10 prospect in the Twins’ organization who was selected to the 2021 MLB Futures Game showcase. Minnesota took him in the seventh round out of Virginia Military Institute.

Overall, Winder tossed 110.2 major league innings in Minnesota for a 4.39 ERA. Multiple shoulder injuries impacted his tenure, and the club eventually changed his role from starting to the bullpen.

Winder debuted in 2022, and his career started off really well. He threw six scoreless innings in each of his first two career starts, striking out 15 batters. The rookie ended up pitching 15 games with 11 starts and producing a 4.70 ERA.

He threw in 19 MLB games in 2023 with a 4.15 ERA as a reliever.

Last year, he started on the injured list with a scapular stress fracture that knocked him out for the first month of the year. Bouncing up and down from the minors, Winder only threw nine innings for the Twins in 2024 with three earned runs and 10 strikeouts. He pitched to a 6.45 ERA in 44.2 minor league innings, but a 3.64 FIP (fielding-independent pitching) suggests he faced some misfortune.

The 28-year-old throws a mid-90s fastball, which he balances with a changeup, sweeper and slider, according to Statcast. His strikeout-to-walk rates have improved significantly in both the majors (23.7%) and minors (20%) last year compared to his 2022 MLB debut season (10.1%).

Winder joins a list of non-roster invitees including outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Aramis Garcia and relief pitcher Jeff Brigham.

The Diamondbacks have only added one reliever to the major league roster this offseason, claiming Seth Martinez from the Houston Astros earlier this winter. The club has remained engaged in the market to add depth to the back end of the bullpen.

Pitcher and catchers will report to D-backs spring training on Feb. 12 with the first Cactus League game on Feb. 21.

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