Of course, the Twins’ decision to sign veteran catcher Victor Caratini to a two-year deal worth $14 million led fans to wonder if a Ryan Jeffers trade is in the offing, especially since Minnesota acquired catcher Alex Jackson from the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the offseason and agreed to pay him $1.35 million by 2026.
However, on Tuesday, Jeffers made a statement on Inside Twins that he is almost certain to don a Twins uniform on opening day, barring injury.
“It just reassured me that my role, that of the guy who will play more than a hundred games, will not change.”
– Jeffers about the conversations after the #MNTwins addition of Victor Caratini https://t.co/5IN3c7Z7VQ
— Declan Goff (@DexsTweets) January 20, 2026
Twins fans rejoice after Ryan Jeffers shuts down trade rumors with strong 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 last three seasons, and while he has regressed as a pitch framer, that shouldn’t matter anymore with the newly implemented ABS Challenge system.
However, Jeffers is a free agent after the 2026 season, meaning the Twins will likely deal him at the trade deadline if postseason hopes are gone and they haven’t signed him to a contract extension. Minnesota should do its best to extend Jeffers, but the catcher may prefer to test the open market as above-average catchers are rare to find.
Twins should do their best to extend Ryan Jeffers
If the Twins can’t extend or re-sign Jeffers, they at least have Caratini, who hit .259/.324/.404 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI for the Houston Astros last year during 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, neither will likely be ready for the big league for at least another two seasons. Extending Jeffers would ensure they have a good backstop until the youngsters are ready to make their MLB debut.
No disrespect to Caratini, but the Twins would be making a mistake if they plan to use him as the 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 looks like the Twins agree toogiven Jeffers’ statement, at least for now. If Jeffers is no longer with the team in 2027, let’s hope Minnesota doesn’t plan to use Caratini in a starting catching role.
#Twins #fans #rejoice #Ryan #Jeffers #shuts #trade #rumors #strong #statement