When Jeremy Zoll, the General Manager for the Minnesota Twins, addressed the media this week, he poured cold water on the growing speculation surrounding Ryan Jeffers. While he stopped short of calling Jeffers untouchable, Zoll made one thing clear: Minnesota values what its starting catcher brings to the club and isn't looking to create another hole while trying to improve the roster. I think that's the right approach.
If the Twins are going to buy at the trade deadline—and all indications suggest they will—the goal shouldn't be to fix one weakness by creating another. Trading one of the American League's better offensive catchers to strengthen the bullpen doesn't make much sense.
That doesn't mean the Twins are without trade chips. If Minnesota needs to move a controllable major league bat to acquire relief help, there's another player who makes far more sense. Trevor Larnach.
Jeremy Zoll said the #MNTwins are looking to buy as the trade deadline approaches. https://t.co/RSnd7FMEXk
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 29, 2026
Twins should trade from a position of strength
This isn't an argument against Trevor Larnach. In fact, it's because of the player he's become that his name should be in the conversation. Larnach has developed into a productive left-handed hitter with years of team control remaining. That's exactly the type of player rebuilding clubs ask about at the trade deadline. He's young enough to fit into another organization's future (29 years old) while established enough to help immediately. More importantly, he plays a position where the Twins have options.
Matt Wallner could earn back some everyday at-bats at the major league level...or they could use him as a trade piece. Emmanuel Rodriguez remains one of the organization's highest-ceiling prospects and appears close to becoming a regular contributor...when healthy. Walker Jenkins continues to work his way toward Minnesota, forcing one to think that it could be "Jenkins Time" sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, Luke Keaschall, Kody Clemens, and Royce Lewis provide additional flexibility in the lineup.
None of those players is identical to Larnach, and they don't have to be. The point is that the Twins have built enough depth in the mix that moving one player doesn't leave the organization scrambling for answers. That's exactly where good deadline deals come from: they trade from positions of strength.
Buying shouldn't create another need
The same can't be said behind the plate. Jeffers brings value that goes well beyond his bat. Productive offensive catchers are difficult enough to find. Productive offensive catchers who already have an established relationship with a pitching staff are even rarer. He's also become one of the Twins' biggest advantages under Major League Baseball's ABS challenge system. Jeffers has developed a knack for recognizing when to challenge ball and strike calls, turning potential walks into strikeouts and extending innings for Minnesota's pitchers. Those moments don't always grab headlines, but they can change games over the course of a season.
Over the last week, the Twins' starters have put together one of the best stretches in franchise history, consistently giving the club a chance to win every night. Jeffers has been part of that success. Breaking up that continuity while trying to make a postseason push feels like an unnecessary gamble. That's why Zoll's comments resonated. Rather than entertaining the idea of moving Jeffers, he spoke like an executive focused on strengthening the current roster—not reshaping it.
None of this guarantees the Twins will trade Larnach. They may ultimately acquire bullpen help without moving any significant pieces from the major league roster. But if another club insists on a controllable bat, the decision seems fairly straightforward.
This isn't about who the better player is. It's about where the Twins can most afford to make a move. Trading Ryan Jeffers creates another question the front office has to answer. Trading Trevor Larnach doesn't. If the Twins are going to buy before Thursday's deadline, they should do exactly what good contenders always try to do—improve the roster without weakening one of its biggest strengths. I think that makes Trevor Larnach the logical trade chip, not Ryan Jeffers.
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