Twins Interested In Bringing Back Ryan Jeffers

Catcher Ryan Jeffers has less than a week to make a decision on the qualifying offer extended by the Twins. He’s unlikely to accept it, but the club is already working on bringing him back. Minnesota is “‘engaged'” with Jeffers and pursuing a reunion, relays Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com.

Jeffers was one of the more popular names at the trade deadline, with several catcher-needy teams attempting to acquire him. The Twins held pat on Jeffers and ended up buying at the deadline. They struggled in August, going 10-17 and falling out of the postseason mix.

Jeffers’ pending free agency made him a sensible trade chip, though an injury muddied his situation. The backstop suffered a left hamate bone fracture in mid-May that cost him nearly two months. Jeffers only played 14 games before the deadline. He performed well in that stretch, as he’d done all season.

The 29-year-old Jeffers followed up a strong 2025 campaign with an even better 2026. He slashed .256/.353/.461 with 14 homers across 368 plate appearances. His 128 wRC+ was his best mark since 2023 when he was splitting the role with Christian Vazquez. Jeffers has been a strong defender at times, but he was a slight negative behind the plate in 2026.

It wasn’t a surprise to see the Twins extend the $23MM qualifying offer to Jeffers. He’s almost certain to exceed that in free agency. Minnesota will pick up a compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere. Jeffers ranked ninth in our Top 50 Free Agents list. We have him landing a four-year, $75MM deal.

Declining the QO doesn’t preclude Jeffers from returning to the club. We’ve seen that scenario multiple times in recent seasons. Kyle Schwarber, Zac Gallen, and Michael King all rejected the QO last offseason but wound up back with their squads. Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea, and Teoscar Hernandez each went that route the previous winter.

The Twins have Victor Caratini under contract for another season. He struggled this past year and might be more suited for a part-time role. Caratini is currently the only catcher on the 40-man roster. Minnesota has several interesting young catchers, including 2026 third overall pick Vahn Lackey and former Phillies prospect Eduardo Tait, but neither is likely ready for the big leagues yet.