Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers might be on a different team next season
Teams reached out to the Twins with interest in catcher Ryan Jeffers before the July 31 trade deadline, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Jeffers, 28, is under team control through next season.
Heyman went on to say that Jeffers, who is slashing .272/.356/.418 with eight homers and 39 RBIs this season, is now a winter trade candidate. Jeffers hasn't been a great defender this year, ranking in the 30th percentile in framing, but has nonetheless been a valuable player for the Twins as an above-average hitter at a premium position. Since Jeffers has team control through next season, Minnesota would have had to have been absolutely blown away by an offer to trade him. A team may do that this winter.
Should the Twins trade Ryan Jeffers? Or should they extend him?
The Twins decided to hold on to Jeffers for now, as they don't have any catchers in the minor league system who appear to be ready to make the jump to the big leagues anytime soon. Eduardo Tait, whom the Twins acquired in the Jhoan Durán trade, is a promising prospect but is only 18 years old and needs to work on his defense. Christian Vázquez will be a free agent at the conclusion of this season as well, so Minnesota would be without an established catcher on the team next year if they moved Jeffers.
That doesn't mean the Twins won't trade Jeffers this offseason if they receive a good offer for him and don't think they can compete for a playoff spot in 2026. But, with Tait still being a long way away from making his MLB debut, Minnesota might want to entertain the idea of extending Jeffers rather than trading him. Locking down an established catcher in his prime for the next five years or so would ensure the Twins don't have to worry about the backstop position. But, Minnesota might continue to sell off pieces who are making more than the league minimum, especially if the Pohlads are still in charge.