Twins acquire catcher Alex Jackson from Baltimore Orioles in exchange for second base prospect Payton Eeles, DFA outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr.
The Minnesota Twins have acquired catcher Alex Jackson from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for second base prospect Payton Eeles, according to The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman. Jackson, 29, will likely replace Christian Vázquez as Minnesota's backup catcher. He is projected to receive $1.8 million in arbitration. Minnesota designated DaShawn Keirsey Jr. for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
With Vázquez becoming a free agent this offseason, the Twins needed a new catcher to back up Ryan Jeffers. Obviously, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey isn't comfortable with the idea of Mickey Gasper or Jhonny Pereda, the only two catchers on Minnesota's 40-man roster besides Jeffers and Jackson, being the backup in 2026.
Both Gasper and Pereda are mostly poor defenders at catcher. Meanwhile, Jackson, in just 36 games played this past season, posted three Caught Stealing Above Average (79th percentile), three Catcher Framing Runs and a 1.90 seconds average Pop Time (88th percentile).
Jackson has played in 160 career MLB games since making his debut in 2019, spending time with the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers and Orioles. He has a career .153/.239/.288 (46 OPS+) slash line with 11 homers and 32 RBI. In his 36 games with Baltimore last season, Jackson hit .220/.290/.473 (111 OPS+) with five home runs and eight RBI in 100 plate appearances.
Acquiring a catcher like Jackson was much-needed for the Twins, but losing Eeles still stings. He quickly became a fan favorite in the Twins minor league system after signing with the organization following a stint with the Chicago Dogs of the American Association. In 897 career minor league plate appearances, Eeles has hit .285/.410/.417 with 16 home runs and 94 RBI. While his overall stats are great, he struggled with a mere .700 OPS in 86 games with the Saints last season. Still, he managed an outstanding .379 on-base percentage for St. Paul in 2025 despite struggling to hit for power.
Twins agree to deal with righty reliever Justin Topa
According to Gleeman, the Twins agreed to a one-year deal with righty reliever Justin Topa, avoiding arbitration. Minnesota previously declined Topa's $2 million club option for 2026, giving him a $225,000 buyout and making him eligible for arbitration.
It felt like paying Topa just $2 million next year would be a bargain, but clearly the Twins front office knew it could pay him a lower rate. Bringing him back is a good move for Minnesota, a team that desperately needs to continue rebuilding its bullpen after this past summer's trade deadline fire sale. In 2025, Topa posted a 3.90 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 18 walks over 60 innings.