Naturally, the Twins' decision to sign veteran catcher Victor Caratini to a two-year, $14 million deal led to fans wondering if a Ryan Jeffers trade is on the horizon, especially since Minnesota acquired catcher Alex Jackson from the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the offseason and agreed to pay him $1.35 million for 2026.
However, on Tuesday, Jeffers made a statement on Inside Twins that all but assures he will don a Twins uniform on Opening Day, barring an injury.
“It just reassured me that my role is the guy who is going to catch 100+ games is not going to change.”
— Declan Goff (@DexsTweets) January 20, 2026
- Jeffers on the conversations after the #MNTwins addition of Victor Caratini https://t.co/5IN3c7Z7VQ
Twins fans happy after Ryan Jeffers shut down trade rumors with powerful statement
Trading Jeffers this offseason would be a mistake if the Twins want to compete in a wide-open American League Central. He has posted an OPS+ above 100 in each of the past three seasons, and while he has regressed as a pitch-framer, it shouldn't matter anymore with the newly-implemented ABS Challenge System.
Jeffers is a free agent after the 2026 season, however, meaning the Twins will likely deal him at the trade deadline if postseason hopes are out the window and they haven't signed him to a contract extension. Minnesota should try its best to extend Jeffers, but the catcher may prefer to test the open market, as above-average-hitting catchers are rare to find.
Twins should do their best to extend Ryan Jeffers
If the Twins cannot extend or re-sign Jeffers, they at least have Caratini, who hit .259/.324/.404 with 12 homers and 46 RBI for the Houston Astros last year, through the 2027 season. They also have Jackson, but he could be traded or designated for assignment soon if the Twins decide they don't have room for him.
Minnesota has promising catching prospects in Eduardo Tait and Enrique Jimenez. However, both likely won't be big-league ready for at least two more seasons. Extending Jeffers would ensure they have a good starting backstop until the youngsters are ready to make their MLB debuts.
No disrespect to Caratini, but the Twins would be making a mistake if they plan to use him as their starting catcher. He's a great backup catcher who can also play first base and serve as a designated hitter, but he shouldn't be the starting backstop for a team with postseason aspirations. It appears the Twins agree with that as well, given Jeffers' statement, at least for now. If Jeffers is no longer with the team in 2027, let's just hope Minnesota doesn't plan to use Caratini in a starting catching role.