The Twins shipped out nearly 40% of their roster but could’ve been even more active. Minnesota also received interest in catcher Ryan Jeffers from multiple teams, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, though obviously nothing came together.
Whether it was a case of the Twins not receiving a satisfactory offer or simply not having time to hammer out yet another swap involving a player controlled beyond the current season, Jeffers is still the Twins’ starting catcher — at least for now. He’s controllable only through the 2026 season, so it stands to reason that he could again be a trade candidate this winter. Perhaps if the Pohlad family can complete a sale of the team in the near future, new ownership will be more intent on keeping a competitive roster together for next season. However, as things currently stand, Jeffers seems likely to be available again in a few months’ time, given the sheer magnitude of Minnesota’s still-surprising deadline teardown.
The 28-year-old Jeffers (29 next June) is enjoying a third straight productive year at the plate, hitting .260/.345/.409 with eight homers, 22 doubles, a 9.8% walk rate and a career-low 19.3% strikeout rate. Dating back to the 2023 season, he’s a .250/.333/.441 hitter — good for a 117 wRC+ that ranks fifth among all qualified big league catchers in that time. His glovework isn’t as well regarded, but Jeffers isn’t a liability from a defensive standpoint by any means. He’s earning $4.55MM this year and will likely clear $7MM next season in his final year of club control.
It’ll be a thin market for teams seeking help behind the plate this winter, so Jeffers should hold plenty of appeal if the Twins do dangle him. The top options on the free agent market will be J.T. Realmuto, ahead of his age-35 season, and Victor Caratini, who’s never really handled a starter’s workload behind the dish. (Even this year, as Caratini is on track for a new career-high in plate appearances, he’s spent 24 games at DH and 11 at first base in addition to his 39 games behind the plate.)
There will be a few other options to consider, but this offseason’s catcher class is composed primarily of mid-30s backups and younger starters who are struggling through down years. Danny Jansen is having a sub-par year for a second straight season. Gary Sanchez will end up missing roughly one-third of the year with the PCL sprain that’s currently sidelining him. Salvador Perez can technically become a free agent, but the Royals will presumably pick up his $13.5MM club option (a net $11.5MM decision when considering the option’s $2MM buyout).
As explored at greater length by MLBTR’s Anthony Franco yesterday, Jeffers and top starter Joe Ryan headline a group of several logical offseason trade candidates who remain on the Twins’ roster after that deadline purge.