The trade deadline is almost here. At 5:00 p.m. CDT on Monday, Aug. 3, all MLB teams will have to make sure they have already made all the trades they want until the offseason. The Minnesota Twins are in an interesting spot as the deadline nears; they sit just one game back of the final American League Wild Card spot with a 53-54 record, and many signs point toward the team buying rather than selling. However, they hold one of the most attractive trade chips in catcher Ryan Jeffers, who is slated to be a free agent at the end of the year.
The Twins could still get value in exchange for Jeffers without trading him. If Minnesota keeps the catcher through the trade deadline and then extends him the qualifying offer after the season, the club would receive a compensatory draft pick if/when he signs with another team.
However, the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees have all made it clear they're seeking to upgrade at catcher. And with FanSided's Robert Murray's recent report that Hunter Goodman, Adley Rutschman and Shea Langeliers (who is now set to undergo season-ending meniscus surgery) are unlikely to be moved, Jeffers is clearly the best backstop on the trade market. Therefore, the Twins may receive an offer for Jeffers that's too good to turn down.
New York Yankees beat reporter Chris Kirschner of The Athletic floated a Yankees-Jeffers trade, and let's just say the Twins should immediately hang up the phone if Yankees general manager Brian Cashman calls to offer this deal.
Chris Kirschner's proposed Yankees-Twins Ryan Jeffers trade
Yankees get: C Ryan Jeffers
Twins get: SS Anthony Volpe, RP Camilo Doval
I’ll drop them off at the airport.
— Steve Parello (@steve_par1489) July 27, 2026
Yankees fans seem very fond of this trade proposal, which is probably a sign that it wouldn't be a great move for the Twins.
With shortstop George Lombard Jr., the Yankees' No. 1 prospect, knocking at the door of his MLB debut, New York is likely planning to move on from Volpe soon. Since making his MLB debut in 2023, Volpe has posted an OPS below .700 in each season. Those are reasons for the Yankees to move on from the shortstop, but also for the Twins to have no interest in acquiring him.
Minnesota already has two promising shortstop prospects in Kaelen Culpper and Marek Houston, so there's no need to add Volpe to the mix. Culpepper appears set to make his MLB debut either later this year or next season, and Houston seems on track to reach the big leagues in 2027 or 2028.
Meanwhile, Doval has had an abysmal season so far, posting -0.8 bWAR and a 4.66 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP over 38 2/3 innings. He had been one of the better closers in baseball with the San Francisco Giants before being dealt to the Yankees last year, making him somewhat intriguing. But he and Volpe shouldn't be enough for the Twins to send Jeffers to New York.
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