Naturally, the Twins' Victor Caratini signing has fans wondering if Ryan Jeffers, who will make $6.7 million this year and is entering the final season of his rookie contract, will be traded. The Twins could use that $6.7 million to improve other areas of the roster, such as the bullpen, and improve their already-strong farm system by dealing their starting catcher.
However, dealing Jeffers would be a massive mistake for the Twins if they want to compete in 2026. Jeffers is among the best-hitting catchers in the league, having posted an OPS+ above 100 in each of the past three seasons. Still, the Twins may deal Jeffers if a team desperate for catching help offers them a package that president Derek Falvey feels he cannot refuse. And with two catchers on the 40-man roster with big league experience, Caratini and Alex Jackson, the Twins may feel they'll be okay at the catcher position if they lose Jeffers, even though a Caratini/Jackson duo would be worse than a Jeffers/Caratini duo.
2 teams that may try to pry Ryan Jeffers from Twins after Victor Caratini signing
Boston Red Sox
On Sunday, MassLive's Sean McAdam reported that the Red Sox “remain active” in the catcher market after the Twins signed Caratini, whom the Red Sox reportedly had interest in. The Red Sox are in win-now mode, so attempting to acquire Jeffers is a strong possibility for the team, even though he has just one season of control remaining.
As of now, Carlos Narvaez is slated to be the Red Sox's starting catcher in 2026. He had a solid rookie campaign last year, but he struggled significantly after the All-Star break with a .187/.233/.387 slash line. Connor Wong is expected to be the team's backup. However, Wong is a weak defender who hit just .190/.262/.238 in 188 plate appearances last season. Adding a catcher like Jeffers to replace Wong and split the workload with Narvaez would be in Boston's best interest.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are looking to trade for a catcher and had interest in J.T. Realmuto before he re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
The Red Sox are more likely to acquire Jeffers than the Rays, as Tampa Bay has a lot more questions surrounding its roster, meaning acquiring a catcher with multiple years of control remaining would make more sense. But if Jeffers is one of the only good catchers on the trade market, the Rays could still try to pry him away from the Twins. Then, if the Rays aren't competing once the trade deadline nears, they can flip Jeffers for prospects.