Lone Minnesota Twin hits free agent market following three unproductive seasons

Considering the circumstances, it felt like a long-winded contract for Christian Vazquez. The now-35-year-old catcher had a rollercoaster of a stint with the Minnesota Twins, and now, his three-year, $30 million contract is up.

Surpassing 10 years of MLB service at the tail-end of the 2025 season, Vazquez has officially become a free agent, As the only Minnesota Twin, Vazquez joins 139 other players around Major League Baseball entering the market.

Twins' Christian Vazquez becomes free agent after three years in Minnesota

The Twins had high hopes for Vazquez upon his arrival. He spent time with the Red Sox and the Astros in 2022 and produced a .714 OPS with respectable metrics defensively, including blocks above average and framing.

His time on the field dwindled from 2023 to 2024 to 2025, however. He logged 102 games in his first season with the Twins, then 93, then 65. He hit the injured list this past season with a shoulder infection, which visibly impacted his production. He muscled three home runs in 2025 and posted a 52 OPS+, his worst mark since 2018.

The short-term future at catcher for the Twins will still likely reside with Ryan Jeffers. He is abritration eligible this offseason, but does not become a free agent until 2027. Jeffers, 28, handed in his third consecutive season with an OPS+ of 100 or better in 2025, and also registered career-highs in doubles (26) and walks (50). His home run count took a dip, as he only rounded the bases nine times after doing so 21 times in 2024. He made up for it in other areas though and has proven that he should continue being the every day catcher.

Vazquez is the only catcher in the AL Central to head into the free agency market. In the entire American League, he is one of four catchers to hit the market (Victor Caratini, Mitch Garver, Gary Sanchez).

Vazquez batted .215 overall in three Minnesota seasons with 16 home runs and a -0.1 bWAR.