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Derek Bender has been released by the Minnesota Twins just two months after they picked him in the draft. Bender reportedly tipped minor-league opponents about pitches that were coming to the plate and the Twins opted not to keep him around.
Per reports, Bender intentionally did it to get his team to lose. They did lose and have been eliminated from the postseason.
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Bender was a sixth-round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina in July and played for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Single-A affiliate of the Twins. On September 6, during a doubleheader, Bender reportedly told multiple hitters for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Detroit Tigers affiliate, what pitches would be thrown to them.
Lakeland scored four runs in the second inning and eventually won 6-0 to eliminate the Mighty Mussels from contention. The players told their coaches, who then relayed the information to the Mighty Mussels. The team was surprised, but Bender reportedly told his teammates he wanted the season to be over.
He did not play in the last two games of the season — which were both wins. Bender and the Twins declined to comment to ESPN on the story.
Derek Bender minor league stats
Derek Bender's time with the Minnesota Twins organization, including his stint with their Single-A affiliate, is over and was not particularly successful. This marked his first professional baseball experience after being drafted in the MLB draft last July.
The first baseman and catcher played a total of 19 games for the Single-A affiliate and recorded .200/.273/.333 with two home runs and eight RBIs. During his three-year collegiate career with Coastal Carolina, he hit .326/.408/.571 with 32 home runs and 153 RBIs in 144 games played. It's unclear where he will go next.
Bender was the 188th overall pick this year. The prospect signed for $297,500, slightly below the $320,800 allotted for that specific selection in the draft. Per reports, his signing bonus will not be forfeited as a result of his release.
