Twins acquire righty reliever Justin Lawrence from Pirates for cash

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins acquired right-handed reliever Justin Lawrence from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash on Monday night.

The 31-year-old Lawrence was 0-2 with a 5.32 ERA in 23 appearances for the Pirates this season. He was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on Friday.

Lawrence debuted with Colorado in 2021 and spent four seasons with the Rockies before Pittsburgh claimed him off waivers in March 2025. He has a 5.05 ERA over 222 major league appearances, all in relief.

The Panama-born Lawrence was a 12th-round pick by the Rockies in the 2015 amateur draft. He appeared in 69 games for Colorado in 2023 and had a 3.72 ERA and 11 saves. Last season, he allowed one run in 17 2/3 innings for the Pirates for an ERA of 0.51.

To open a spot for Lawrence, the Twins will make a roster move before Tuesday night's game against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

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