St. Paul – Aaron Rozek had something happen to him this past offseason that had never happened to him before.
As a pitcher whom the Minnesota Twins signed out of the independent leagues, he had never known what the experience was like to be drafted. But on a Wednesday night in December, when the baseball world focuses on what big-name free agents are trying to land deals at the Winter Meetings, Aaron Rozek and his friends’ attention was glued to a rather lackluster Rule 5 Minor League Draft.
“It was definitely a whirlwind,” Rozek recalled about that night. “I knew I was eligible, didn’t think it was going to happen, so I was just listening along. And then I must have been delayed because I had a group chat with some buddies, and they were like, ‘No way! Mets.”
His five years within the organization that he grew up cheering for, just 20 minutes south of the Metrodome and Target Field, had seemingly come to an end. Gone were the dreams of making his MLB debut with the Twins. Instead, he shifted them to the New York Mets.
Rozek spent spring training in Port St. Lucie in the Mets minor league camp. Still, they used in MLB spring training games, having players such as Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and former Twins all-star Jorge Polanco play behind him.
As spring training was winding down, Rozek asked for his release from the Mets organization and checked off another first by becoming a free agent. With Opening Day soon ahead, Rozek was not quite ready to hang up the cleats and wanted another go around with the Twins.
So he reached out to 2025 Saints pitching coach Jonas Lovin, who now serves as the team’s roaming Minor League Pitching Coordinator, to discuss a reunion.
“Rozey’s and I’s relationship has always been pretty solid,” said Lovin. “He’s a great guy, and org-wide, he’s very well respected, and he’s pitched well for us in his time with us. So when he reached out, it was a pretty easy, ‘Hey, I’ll pass your information along. I’ll do my best to put a good word in and see where we’re at.’”
Aaron Rozek also reached out to the Twins farm director, Drew MacPhail, to see what could happen. As the season got underway, with Rozek still at his Burnsville home, a deal was looking more and more likely with how the Minor League rosters were shaping up.
“April, a lot of stuff can happen and a lot of movement in baseball,” said Rozek. “Unfortunately, injuries are a part of it. A spot opened up, and then they called me a couple of days later asking if I wanted to sign, and I immediately said yes.”
Rozek was officially signed on April 9 and assigned to Double-A Wichita. Having already been one of the most frequent travelers, being moved back and forth between Wichita and St. Paul, the assignment back at Double-A didn’t concern him, which was something he wanted to make clear to MacPhail.
“I told Drew in that initial phone call, ‘I don’t care what I’m doing as long as I got, I’m in the Twins organization. That’s where I wanted to be; I never wanted to get drafted out of it. So I really don’t care, pull me up and down. Hopefully, I get a few weeks at home during the season so I can say hi to the wife every now and then.’”
Shortly after Rozek hung up with MacPhail after the deal was official, the news spread quickly throughout Minnesota’s minor league teams. Old teammates became new ones again, and they couldn’t help their excitement having one of their own return in Rozek.
Saints pitcher Mike Paredes was among the many teammates happy to hear about Rozek’s surprise return to the Twins org. The two have spent plenty of time together at Double-A Wichita, bonding while playing golf on off days. So once Paredes heard the news, he quickly congratulated Rozek on his return.
“Oh dude, it was a big, happy surprise when he shot me a phone call and told me he was coming back,” Paredes said. “I know that the day that he actually got Rule 5’d by the Mets, I called him right away as soon as I saw it.
“I know he was very happy to come back over here. He’s from Minnesota, grew up a big Twins fan, and I was very happy I get to share the locker room with him again because he’s just such a good guy to be around and always felt we had a really strong, good teammate connection there.”
Since returning to the Twins org, Rozek has had one of his best seasons yet, posting a 3.03 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and .256 opponents’ average. He’s done so while allowing just six walks, and striking out 33 batters in 32 ⅔ innings between Wichita and St. Paul. He’s gone back and forth between starting and relieving for the Saints since being recalled on May 12. However, for the first time, he’s finding a long stretch of success in Triple-A.
Aaron Rozek struggled in St. Paul over the past two seasons. However, through 18 innings, he owns a 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, .257 opponents’ average, has walked three, and has struck out 19. For him, there weren’t any major changes from how he pitched in 2024 and 2025. It just comes down to the simplicity of being where he wants to be pitching.
“In the past, he’s changed arm slots,” said Lovin. “He’s thrown from a lower one, thrown from a higher one, he’s done that within the same game, and this off-season, he really committed to throwing from a bit lower of a slot to make himself more unique. So it’s been good to see the results come with his hard work and committing to that approach.”
“Honestly, nothing has felt like that different. It’s not doing too much,” Rozed said. “Obviously haven’t had the greatest of outings here in the past in 24 and 25, so I might be just familiar with the atmosphere now, finally getting used to it, really trying to stay within myself. And just taking every day. I still have a uniform on as a blessing, and I think the short amount of time I was a free agent opened my eyes to how special this game is, and wanting to play it as long as I can. So I think that helps too.”
