Ten days ago, The Athletic's (subscription required) Matt Gelb reported that the Philadelphia Phillies were interested in Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers as a replacement for J.T. Realmuto, who became a free agent after the 2025 season.
It was a scary rumor for Twins fans. If Minnesota were to move on from Jeffers this offseason, Alex Jackson would likely become the club's starting catcher. Jackson has the makeup to be a solid backup, but most would agree he isn't suited to be a regular starter at the position.
Luckily for Twins fans, the Phillies just re-signed Realmuto, 35 in March, to a three-year, $45 million contract with incentives worth $5MM annually. Gelb and Ken Rosenthal first reported that the two sides were close to a deal, while FanSided's Robert Murray and USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the deal was done and the contract specifics.
Phillies' J.T. Realmuto signing should put an end to terrifying Twins trade rumor regarding Ryan Jeffers
Now that the Phillies have the catcher position locked up for the next three seasons, Twins fans can take a sigh of relief. For now, Jeffers, 28, isn't going anywhere. However, Jeffers is set to be a free agent after the 2026 season, meaning he'll likely be dealt at the trade deadline if Minnesota isn't in postseason contention, unless he signs an extension with the team.
Twins should extend Ryan Jeffers
The Twins should consider extending Jeffers, even if they receive a lot of trade interest for him this summer. He is well-liked among fans, and there aren't many catchers who can hit at his level. Over the past three seasons, the Twins backstop has posted an OPS+ above 100, which is extremely valuable for his position.
While Jeffers has improved at the plate over the past few seasons, his defense has regressed, posting a combined -14 framing runs from 2023-25. However, with the newly implemented ABS Challenge System, his poor framing stats won't be as detrimental to the team.
Some Twins fans may be opposed to the idea of extending Jeffers, as the organization has talented catching prospects Eduardo Tait, whom Minnesota acquired from the Phillies with starting pitcher Mick Abel in the Jhoan Durán trade in July, and Enrique Jimenez, whom the Twins got from the Detroit Tigers for starters Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak in July. However, Tait is just 19, and Jimenez is 20, meaning both likely won't be in the majors for at least a couple more years.