Minnesota Twins part ways with minor league catcher Derek Bender for revealing pitch types
The Minnesota Twins released minor league catcher Derek Bender on Thursday due to his actions of tipping pitches to opposing players, as confirmed by a source familiar with the matter to YSL News Sports.
This source requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, which was initially reported by ESPN.
As reported by ESPN, Bender, who was part of the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, informed several batters on the Lakeland Flying Tigers about the type of pitches being thrown by starter Ross Dunn during a game on September 6.
The victory for Lakeland secured them the Florida State League division title and knocked Fort Myers out of playoff contention.
Coaches from Lakeland informed Fort Myers staff about Bender’s tip-off after the game, according to the ESPN report.
Bender, selected in the sixth round of July’s draft from Coastal Carolina, had a batting average of .200 in 19 games in the minors.
Payton Eeles, Bender’s former college teammate who is now with Minnesota’s Triple-A team, shared on social media Thursday night that Bender was “one of my favorite teammates” and mentioned that he “made a mistake in life that many 21-year-olds do,” expressing his support and love.