Long-time Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers has one season of control remaining on his contract, meaning he will be a free agent after the 2026 campaign unless he is extended.
The Twins have a highly regarded catching prospect in Eduardo Tait, whom Minnesota acquired from the Phillies along with righty starting pitcher Mick Abel for star closer Jhoan Durán on July 30. They also acquired young catching prospect Enrique Jimenez from the Detroit Tigers for righty pitchers Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak on July 28. Jimenez isn't viewed in the same light as Tait, but he posted an impressive .983 OPS in 23 games with Low-A Fort Myers last season.
Twins should extend long-time catcher Ryan Jeffers
While it seems Tait and Jimenez are the Twins' future big-league catchers, both most likely won't be in the majors until at least 2028, given their lack of professional experience. Tait is just 19, while Jimenez is 20. Therefore, the Twins should attempt to extend Jeffers for at least two more years, which would ensure the catcher position is held down for a while.
If the Twins can keep Jeffers for two or three additional years, Tait and/or Jimenez should be ready to step in as the team's catcher by the time his contract concludes. If they let Jeffers walk in free agency, then they will be in trouble, as there typically aren't a lot of affordable starting catchers on the free agent market. Alex Jackson, whom Minnesota acquired from the Baltimore Orioles for infield prospect Payton Eeles last month, may end up being a solid backup catcher, but it's hard to imagine he could succeed as a starter at the position in the big leagues.
Jeffers has regressed defensively over the past few seasons, 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.
Jeffers has posted an OPS+ over 100 each of the past three seasons, which is rare to find in an everyday catcher. Extending a productive hitter at a position where that's difficult to find would benefit the Twins in the long run.