Naturally, the signing of Victor Caratini has Twins fans wondering if Ryan Jeffers, who will make $6.7 million this year and is entering the final season of his rookie contract, will be traded. The Twins could use that $6.7 million to improve other parts of the roster, such as the bullpen, and improve their already strong farm system by dealing away their starting catcher.
However, dealing Jeffers would be a huge mistake for the Twins if they want to compete in 2026. Jeffers is among the top-scoring catchers in the league, having posted an OPS+ above 100 in each of the past three seasons. Still, the Twins can do business with Jeffers if a team desperate for help offers them a package that president Derek Falvey thinks he can’t refuse. And with two catchers on the 40-man roster with big league experience, Caratini and Alex Jackson, the Twins may feel like they’ll be OK at the catcher position if they lose Jeffers, even though a Caratini/Jackson duo would be worse than a Jeffers/Caratini duo.
Two teams that could try to pry Ryan Jeffers from the Twins after Victor Caratini signed
Boston RedSox
On Sunday, MassLive’s Sean McAdam reported that the Red Sox “remain active” on the catcher market after the Twins signed Caratini, who the Red Sox reportedly had interest in. The Red Sox are in win-now mode, so an attempt to acquire Jeffers is a strong possibility for the team, even if he only has one season of control left.
As of now, Carlos Narvaez is slated to be the Red Sox’ starting catcher in 2026. He had a solid rookie campaign last year, but struggled significantly after the All-Star break with a .187/.233/.387 slash line. Connor Wong is expected to be the team’s backup. However, Wong is a weak defenseman who hit just .190/.262/.238 in 188 plate appearances last season. Adding a catcher like Jeffers to replace Wong and split the workload with Narvaez would be in Boston’s best interest.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are looking to trade for a catcher and were interested in JT Realmuto before re-signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The Red Sox are more likely to acquire Jeffers than the Rays because Tampa Bay has a lot more questions surrounding the roster, meaning it would make more sense to acquire a catcher with several years of control left. But if Jeffers is one of the few quality catchers on the trade market, the Rays could still try to pry him away from the Twins. Then, if the Rays are no longer competing once the trade deadline approaches, they can trade Jeffers for prospects.
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