This week, the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball announced they have signed former Twins right-handed pitcher José Ureña to a one-year contract. Ureña is now teammates with fellow former Twins Carson McCusker and Kenta Maeda.
Ureña, who signed with Minnesota in late June after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers, played a key role for the Twins after the 2026 trade deadline, allowing nine earned runs with 10 strikeouts and eight walks across 17 2/3 innings before the Twins designated him for assignment in late August and he elected free agency.