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The Minnesota Twins released 2024 sixth-round draft pick Derek Bender on Thursday after he told opposing hitters the types of pitches that were coming to the plate during in a game that eliminated his team from playoff contention last week.
Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN report that Bender, a sixth-round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina, tipped pitches to hitters for the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Bender was played for the Twins’ Single-A affiliate, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Lakeland won the game 6-0 to clinch the Florida State League West division and eliminate Fort Myers. The Mighty Mussels held a six-game just three weeks earlier.
Lakeland coaches alerted Fort Myers about Bender tipping pitches following the contest. Bender reportedly told teammates that he wanted the season to be over.
Well, now both the season and his career are likely over.
ESPN reports that it reached out to both Bender’s agency and the Twins organization, each of which declined to comment.
Bender hit .200 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 19 games for the Mighty Mussels. That was after a stellar stellar season for the Chanticleers where he hit .320 with 11 homers and 63 RBI.
“Bender’s right-handed swing is designed to crank home runs to his pull side, though some scouts wonder how much power he’ll produce against better pitching,” his MLB.com scouting report reads. “He generates his pop more with strength than bat speed and frequently chases pitches out of the strike zone. He does make a lot of hard contact and showed improved plate discipline while on the Cape and again this spring.”