Billy Moran was part of a three-team trade involving Minnesota, Cleveland, and the Los Angeles Angels. Minnesota acquired Frank Kostro and Jerry Kindall and sent Lenny Green and Vic Power to Los Angeles. Moran was sent from the Angels to Cleveland in that trade.
Left-handed reliever Kody Funderburk has been with the Twins since 2023. He was born in Mesa, Arizona, attended Dallas Baptist University, and was drafted by Minnesota in the fifteenth round in 2018. He actually had a very poor year in his last year in college, going 1-3, 6.84, 1.72 WHIP in fifty innings. He did strike out fifty-three batters, which is probably why the Twins took a chance on him. A starter in college and for much of his minor league career, he was not impressive in the low minors in 2018 or 2019. He did not pitch in the COVID year of 2020, but he came back strong in 2021, posting a 2.55 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in a season split between high-A and AA. He had a good year in AA in 2022, when he began a shift to the bullpen. He pitched very well in relief for St. Paul in 2023 and came up to the Twins in late August. He gave up a run in his second appearance, but no more the rest of the season (nine games). A year ago, we said, "we assume a spot in the Twins' bullpen in 2024 is his to lose." Well, he lost it, pitching well in April but very poorly in May. He was sent down in late May and made only brief appearances in the majors after that. He did not do very well in AAA, either. He turns twenty-eight today, and has a major league record of 3-0, 5.01, 1 save, 1.44 WHIP with 51 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. We don't know what he lost last year, but he'd better find it again soon if he's going to have much of a major league career.
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