Back in November, the Minnesota Twins traded infield prospect Payton Eeles to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for catcher Alex Jackson. It seemed like a solid move at the time, as the Twins needed a backup catcher and had plenty of established and promising infielders on their roster.
However, once the Twins signed catcher/first baseman Victor Caratini to a two-year, $14 million deal in January, Jackson's chances of breaking camp on Minnesota's 26-man roster drastically lowered. Barring a last-minute injury, Caratini will undoubtedly be the Twins' backup catcher behind Ryan Jeffers in 2026.
Unsurprisingly, the Twins are now looking to trade Jackson, according to The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey. It may be difficult for the Twins to find a team willing to acquire Jackson, who is set to make $1.35 million this year, given how close we are to Opening Day. Most teams already know who their backup catcher will be in 2026.
If the Twins are unable to find a taker for Jackson, the former Oriole may be passed through waivers. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have Jackson stashed in the minors in case Jeffers or Caratini suffer an injury, but $1.35 million is a hefty price to pay for a player who isn't on the 26-man roster.
Twins clearly made mistake by trading Payton Eeles to Orioles for Alex Jackson
Regardless of what happens to Jackson before Opening Day, the Twins clearly made a mistake by trading Eeles for the catcher. While it wasn't a bad move at the time, Minnesota probably wishes it had held onto Eeles. It's important to note that Derek Falvey, who parted ways with the Twins in late January, was in charge of Minnesota's baseball operations department at the time of the trade.
Even with injuries to Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo, Eeles won't make the Orioles' Opening Day roster. He was reassigned to minor-league camp two weeks ago, and he had just one spring training at-bat due to a shoulder injury he suffered early in camp. But he has a good shot to be on the team later in the season.
During his first season in the Twins organization, Eeles, 26, hit an outstanding .306/.435/.497 with 12 home runs, eight triples, 19 doubles, 60 RBI and 41 stolen bases in 469 plate appearances, jumping from Low-A to High-A before heading straight to Triple-A.
Following offseason knee surgery, Eeles missed the first two months of the Saints' 2025 season. He rejoined the team on June 2 after rehabbing in the low minors.
Eeles regressed upon returning from the IL last season, hitting .253/.379/.321 with four homers and 21 stolen bases in 86 games with the Saints. Still, his solid .379 on-base percentage suggests he could be a decent big-league hitter. Even when he struggles, he still manages to reach base at an above-average level and consistently steal bases.
Eeles could easily prove he isn't an everyday big leaguer. But he clearly has potential. The Twins should've held onto him, especially now that they're looking to trade Jackson.