EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – As I look out my window, it’s awfully hard to think spring is close, but it’s less than five weeks before camp starts in Fort Myers, Fla. The Twins’ roster isn’t done yet (just take a look at the bullpen), but a good bit of it is probably set. So with that in mind, it’s time to start going around the horn. Over the next month, in both the newsletter and at Twins.com, I’ll take a look at the various units of the roster. We’re starting with one that I believe is very much set: the catching. On the 40-man roster: Ryan Jeffers, Alex Jackson, Jhonny Pereda, Mickey Gasper New arrivals: Jackson (acquired in trade with Orioles) Departures: Christian Vázquez (free agent) Top 30 prospects: Eduardo Tait (No. 3), Khadim Diaw (No. 21), Ricardo Olivar (No. 26), Enrique Jimenez (No. 28) The big question: How will Jeffers handle being The Man? For the past few seasons, the Twins have at least begun the year with a job share behind the plate. Jeffers and Vázquez split time in 2023 and '24, and Minnesota started ’25 with a plan to do the same. Then Vázquez suffered an infection in his right shoulder that sidelined him for much of the second half, and Jeffers became the primary catcher. |
Jeffers liked it, and it went well. But this will be the first time that the Twins open a season with Jeffers as the clear No. 1 catcher, and that’s a different ask from splitting time behind the plate and getting some at-bats as a designated hitter. Catching is unlike any other position. Its demands are unique. And while Jeffers hasn’t been a star-level hitter the past two years, he has been an important part of the Twins’ offense. He adjusted his approach last year and saw a nice spike in on-base percentage, and he has been an above-average hitter in each of the past three seasons. So it’s fair to wonder: Can Jeffers keep that up if he’s asked to catch 120-130 games? There are a couple of data points, and they tell very different stories. If you look at Jeffers’ splits by position, he was a much more effective hitter when he was playing DH last year (.327/.410/.477) than when he caught (.247/.337/.372). On the other hand, his numbers over the final two months, when he was catching more often, took a nice leap from before the Trade Deadline – a .290/.378/.395 line from Aug. 1 to the end of the year. One subtlety there is that the Twins had a lot of designated hitter options, so it was rare for Jeffers to serve as the DH against a right-handed pitcher. So there’s some inherent selection bias – he should hit better as a DH because those should inherently be better matchups for him. Behind Jeffers, there’s a new backup: Jackson, who had a career year in 100 at-bats for the Orioles last season. He’s well-regarded for his defense, but even after slugging .473 in 2025, he’s a career .153/.239/.288 hitter. His career high in starts in the Majors is 46, and he has made at least 25 starts three times. |
Minnesota has two depth options after those two: Gasper and Pereda, both of whom saw time down the stretch last year, especially when Jeffers suffered a concussion. But if the Twins saw either of them as a viable primary backup, they wouldn’t have traded for Jackson. Then there’s the future, which is bright but more “on the horizon” than “on the cusp of the Majors.” Tait, acquired from the Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal at the Trade Deadline, is No. 57 on the MLB Pipeline Top 100 list, and he held his own in his age-18 season at High-A. But it was High-A. Tait is still three levels from the Major Leagues, and while his bat is extremely intriguing, it would be shocking if he’s ready for the Majors in 2027. |
Given that Jeffers is a free agent after 2026, that means the Twins may face a much bigger challenge in a year – either to find a way to keep Jeffers or to find a different bridge until Tait is ready. But that’s not a front-burner issue just yet. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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CARAVAN DETAILS ANNOUNCED |
The Twins announced details for their 2026 Winter Caravan last week, and once again there are three legs. Leg 1, on Jan. 21-22, will visit Mankato, Minn., Sioux Falls, S.D., and Fargo, N.D., and will feature players Luke Keaschall and Alan Roden and broadcasters Kris Atteberry and Glen Perkins. Leg 2, on the same dates, will go to Duluth, St. Cloud and Rochester, Minn., and Northwood, Iowa. Players Justin Topa and Mick Abel, new bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins, broadcaster Cory Provus and Twins mascot T.C. Bear will be on that one. And Leg 3, the manager’s leg, will make stops in St. Paul and Welch, Minn., with manager Derek Shelton and Twins president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey among the attendees. For more details on the caravans, visit this link. |
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Michael A. Taylor, who played for the Twins in 2023, will be joining the club in a limited capacity this year. Taylor retired from playing after the '25 season. He will be in Spring Training for two weeks and spend some time visiting Minor League affiliates as an outfield instructor. Taylor played 12 seasons in the Majors with the Nationals, Royals, Twins, Pirates and White Sox. |
AND, FINALLY, THE PLAYLIST |
Sometimes in the winter, I turn to comfort food musically as well as in, well, food. Here are five personal favorites from the peak era of my favorite band, the Rolling Stones. • “Jigsaw Puzzle” • “Let It Bleed” • “Moonlight Mile” • “Torn and Frayed” • “Coming Down Again” |
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