Twins Remove Anthony Banda, Aaron Sabato and Tristan Gray From 40-Man Roster

Three different roster decisions

Minnesota’s decision to outright three players reflects three separate roster calculations: a costly injury absence for Anthony Banda, stalled progress for former first-round pick Aaron Sabato, and limited production from veteran utilityman Tristan Gray. The Twins announced Thursday that all three had cleared waivers, giving the club room to make those calls without another team claiming them. The moves also leave each player’s next step open, though the options differ according to his contract, service time, and recent performance.

That distinction matters. An outright assignment can clear a player from the 40-man roster while leaving a path back to the organization, but it doesn’t guarantee that path will be taken. For Minnesota, the question is whether each player’s likely contribution justifies a roster spot or a new minor-league arrangement. In these cases, the answers hinge on very different concerns: recovery time, contact ability, and the value of defensive flexibility.

Banda’s injury changes the roster math

Banda gave Minnesota useful work after arriving in a trade with the Dodgers, who’d designated the left-hander for assignment. But a torn lat that required surgery is expected to keep him out well into next season, turning a short-term pitching contribution into a longer-term roster decision. With a projected $2.3 million salary in his final year of club control, the Twins would’ve had to reserve a 40-man spot and guarantee more than $2 million while he recovers. That’s a meaningful commitment for a pitcher whose availability is uncertain.

There’s still a route back on a minor-league deal, though Banda’s service time gives him the right to elect free agency. He has more than five years in the majors, and 2027 would’ve been his final season before free agency. That combination gives him a choice about whether to remain with Minnesota under a different arrangement or test the market for another opportunity. The injury may limit his immediate options, but it doesn’t erase the value of his major-league experience.

Before the injury, Banda recorded a 4.46 ERA across 34 1/3 innings, striking out 21.2% of batters and walking 9.6%. Those numbers describe a useful but not dominant stretch, and the sample is small enough that they shouldn’t be treated as a settled measure of his ability. His season ended on a much stronger run: over his final 20 1/3 innings, he posted a 1.33 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 10 walks. That late improvement gives Minnesota a reason to stay interested, but it doesn’t resolve the central problem: when he’ll be ready to pitch again.

Banda also logged 114 1/3 innings with a 3.14 ERA for the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025. That broader record helps explain why the Twins might consider bringing him back once the roster and contract terms make sense. Still, paying for past production means taking on uncertainty about future availability. Here’s the thing: the outright is less a verdict on Banda’s pitching than a decision about how much roster space Minnesota can afford to devote to a recovery.

Sabato’s power hasn’t solved the contact issue

Sabato, 27, was Minnesota’s No. 27 overall pick in 2020. The University of North Carolina first baseman was drafted for his right-handed power and potential to move quickly into a first-base or designated-hitter role. That profile placed a premium on his ability to turn power into consistent offensive production. In the minors, the power showed up, but so did persistent strikeout trouble, often at rates above 30% as he advanced.

His 2026 season offered some progress: Sabato hit 25 home runs and slashed .273/.349/.528, good for a 121 wRC+, in Triple-A. That’s a productive line, and it suggests his power could still make him useful if he reaches the majors. Yet his 25.3% strikeout rate came with a career-low 8.7% walk rate. The improvement in contact is encouraging, but the lower walk rate complicates the picture; a player whose value rests heavily on power has less margin for error when he isn’t reaching base in other ways.

A late major-league call-up yielded six plate appearances and no hits. That’s far too brief a look to settle what Sabato can do against major-league pitching, but it also didn’t give the Twins a reason to rethink his role. Now off the 40-man roster, he could become a minor-league free agent. His next opportunity will depend on whether another club sees enough upside in the home-run production to keep working on the contact profile.

This is more significant than it looks for a former first-round pick. Draft position can explain why a player gets chances, but it can’t substitute for evidence that his skills are translating. For Sabato, the central question remains whether the power can carry over when pitchers are better equipped to exploit his weaknesses.

Gray’s versatility comes with a modest bat

Gray, 30, has moved through six organizations—the Rays, Athletics, Pirates, Marlins, White Sox and Twins—and has appeared in the majors for four of them. Minnesota gave him 188 plate appearances early this year, a substantial chance to show whether his defensive range could pair with enough offense to hold a regular role. After an early grand slam, his production faded, and he was sent to Triple-A with a .225/.267/.324 line and a 31.9% strikeout rate. The early power offered a glimpse of what he can provide, but it didn’t persist across the larger stretch.

Across parts of four major-league seasons, Gray has hit .218/.266/.342 in 310 plate appearances. Those numbers point to a limited offensive ceiling, especially for a player who isn’t established as a regular at one position. He can cover multiple infield positions, which can help a team manage injuries and substitutions, but flexibility has value only when it fills a practical roster need. And yet, versatility can keep a player in consideration even when the bat hasn’t secured him a fixed job.

His Triple-A results also dipped this year: in St. Paul, he batted .200/.273/.344 after previously performing around league average at that level. That drop matters because strong minor-league production could have supported another major-league look; instead, the results offered less reassurance. He’ll enter minor-league free agency, with his positional range and left-handed bat likely to shape his next opportunity. If you’re working in this space, Gray’s case is a reminder that a bench profile still needs a clear use: covering several spots helps, but it won’t erase a prolonged slump at the plate.

What the moves say about Minnesota’s choices

Taken together, the three outright assignments show how a 40-man roster forces teams to weigh unlike forms of uncertainty. Banda’s value is tied to health and cost. Sabato’s is tied to whether power can coexist with enough contact and on-base production. Gray offers defensive coverage, but his recent hitting gives a club less reason to reserve a spot for him.

That said, clearing waivers doesn’t end any of these players’ careers or rule out a return to Minnesota. It changes the terms on which the next opportunity might happen. The Twins can reconsider Banda if his recovery and contract fit; another club can decide Sabato’s power is worth developing; and Gray can look for a team that needs infield coverage. The next steps will depend on those individual evaluations, not on the fact that all three passed through waivers.

For Minnesota, the immediate effect is a little more room to make roster decisions while these questions remain unresolved. For the players, it’s a test of how much other clubs value the skills they’ve shown and how much weight they place on the weaknesses. The gap between a useful minor-league résumé and a dependable major-league role can be wide. A roster spot is only the beginning.