The Minnesota Twins have released right-handed pitcher Jesse Bergin from High-A Cedar Rapids, ending a brief and injury-interrupted stay in the organization, via the MiLB transaction log.
The 26-year-old reliever, signed as a minor-league free agent in April after Miami cut him loose, spent most of 2026 on the injured list after struggling in a short look with the Kernels.
Bergin, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound product of UCLA and Harvard-Westlake High School in Studio City, California, was the Marlins’ 11th-round pick (No. 329 overall) in 2021. He never reached the majors.
After bouncing through Miami’s system—including a useful 2025 stretch at Double-A Pensacola (2.51 ERA, 41 strikeouts in 43 innings)—the Blue Wahoos released him on March 3. Minnesota signed him three weeks later and assigned him to the Florida Complex League Twins.
He reached Cedar Rapids on June 18 and was immediately placed on the seven-day injured list. After returning, Bergin made nine appearances for the Kernels and went 0-4 with an 8.18 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 13 hits, seven walks and 15 strikeouts in 11 innings.
Combined with one FCL outing, he finished 2026 at 1-4 with a 7.82 ERA in 12 2/3 innings. The Kernels put him back on the seven-day IL on July 26 and transferred him to the full-season injured list three days later. He remained there into September.
Career minor-league numbers look more respectable: 6-12, 3.92 ERA, 143 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP in 117 innings across 82 games. Age and availability worked against him.
At 26 in High-A, with repeated IL stints and a high walk rate in limited 2026 work, Bergin no longer fit the Twins’ developmental timeline. Cedar Rapids endured a difficult year as Minnesota’s High-A affiliate; roster spots typically go to younger arms or healthier veterans who can still be evaluated.
Releases of this kind are common in September as clubs clear space and players seek new opportunities. Bergin is now a free agent.
Another organization could give him a look in instructional ball, winter ball, or spring training if he is healthy. For the Twins, the move is a small housekeeping item after a short experiment that never gained traction.
Bergin’s path—from Pac-12 starter and freshman All-American at UCLA to journeyman reliever—is familiar in the minors. Command and durability, not raw stuff, decided this chapter.
Whether he pitches again professionally will depend on how quickly he can get back on a mound and whether a club still sees a bullpen piece in the right-hander.
