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Twins acquire Dean Kremer from Orioles in MLB trade deadline move originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Minnesota Twins continued adding to their pitching staff Friday by acquiring right-handed starter Dean Kremer from the Baltimore Orioles.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported the agreement shortly before Minnesota began its game against the Seattle Mariners. The players heading back to Baltimore were not immediately known.
Kremer gives the Twins another experienced option for the rotation, although the 30-year-old has struggled through a difficult and injury-shortened 2026 season. He owns a 1-4 record with a 6.50 ERA across seven starts. Kremer has allowed 38 hits, 12 home runs and 11 walks over 36 innings while recording 38 strikeouts.
Minnesota is betting that Kremer’s extensive track record matters more than his troubling numbers over a relatively small sample this season. The deal came only hours after the Twins acquired veteran left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets, making Kremer their second notable pitching addition of the day.
Twins bet on Dean Kremer rebound
Kremer’s 2026 season never found any early rhythm. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk before Opening Day after he had spent the previous several seasons as a fixture in the Orioles’ rotation. The right-hander returned to the majors in April but landed on the injured list with a right quadriceps strain.
He was not activated again until July 1.
Kremer showed flashes after returning, including six innings of one-run baseball against the Chicago White Sox. His results quickly deteriorated, however. He surrendered six runs against the Boston Red Sox on July 22 before allowing eight runs on eight hits in four innings during Baltimore’s 14-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.
Kremer posted a 7.56 ERA and allowed eight home runs across five July starts.
Those numbers explain the risk for Minnesota. His larger body of work explains why the Twins were willing to make the move. Kremer made 123 starts for Baltimore from 2020 through 2025, compiling a 4.26 ERA across 671 2/3 innings. He won 13 games for the Orioles’ 101-win American League East championship team in 2023 and has repeatedly handled a full-time rotation workload.
MORE: Mets make sudden Freddy Peralta decision as trade interest intensifies
Kremer gives Minnesota another controllable arm
Kremer is more than a short-term rental for the Twins. He is earning $5.75 million this season and remains under team control through 2027. That gives Minnesota an opportunity to evaluate him during the stretch run without losing him immediately after the season.
The Twins could install Kremer in the rotation, use him as a long reliever or give him time to address the home run issues that have derailed his season. Minnesota’s spacious Target Field could also provide a more forgiving environment than Camden Yards, although Kremer must do a better job of keeping the ball in the park regardless of where he pitches.
Baltimore’s decision to move Kremer comes with the club sitting below .500 and well behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. The Orioles can now create more rotation opportunities for their other starters while adding another piece to their organization.
The Twins are taking the opposite approach.
After adding Minter to the bullpen and Kremer to the rotation mix, Minnesota has made it clear that improving its pitching staff was a priority before the deadline. Kremer is not arriving in peak form, but the Twins believe a fresh start can help an experienced starter rediscover what once made him one of Baltimore’s most dependable arms.
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