Replacing Ryan Jeffers is the kind of offseason task that can quietly shape everything else the Twins do.
Minnesota has a few free-agent decisions looming, with Jeffers, A.J. Minter and Taylor Rogers all set to reach the market.
Josh Bell’s situation is a little different because his $10 million mutual option makes his future conditional. But if the Twins are sorting through the biggest replacement headache, Jeffers sits at the top of the list.
That’s because his bat matters. In 2026, he hit .256/.353/.461 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs in 92 games.
If he walks, the Twins aren’t just losing a catcher; they’re losing offense from a spot where dependable answers are hard to find. A simple one-for-one move would only solve part of the problem.
Victor Caratini gives Minnesota a starting point. He’s under contract through 2027 and is set to make $6.5 million that year.
But his .220/.312/.315 line and seven home runs show why he can’t be treated as a full Jeffers stand-in. More starts from Caratini would help behind the plate, but the lineup would take a hit.
One free-agent name that fits the Twins’ search is Tyler Stephenson. The Cincinnati Reds catcher is under contract through the season in which he posted a .241/.323/.404 line with 15 home runs in 130 games. He brings experience with a heavy workload and enough offense to share catching duties.
Still, Minnesota would have to do the math carefully. Stephenson’s production was below Jeffers’, so the Twins would need to know whether the price difference actually makes up for the drop at the plate.
If the offers are close, keeping Jeffers makes more sense. If Stephenson is willing to take a shorter deal or a noticeably cheaper one, pairing him with Caratini could give the Twins a workable tandem.
There’s also a trade route. Sean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves is a name worth checking on, especially with Drake Baldwin in the mix and Atlanta having used both catchers. But any deal would depend on whether the Braves are willing to move Murphy at all.
If Minnesota does explore that path, the contract matters. According to Fangraphs, Murphy is set to make $15 million in both 2027 and 2028.
The Twins would have to weigh his health, what the Braves would want back, and whether Atlanta would kick in any salary help. Taking on the whole deal could make it harder to fix other spots.
What Minnesota should not do is pin its catching plan on Eduardo Tait. He finished the year as a 20-year-old catcher at High-A Cedar Rapids, and he’s still a future piece rather than a ready-made solution. The Twins need a real Opening Day partner for Caratini, not a timeline built around a prospect who still has development ahead of him.
The bullpen picture adds another layer of pressure. Minter and Rogers could both leave, so Minnesota can’t afford to overcommit money to a catcher and ignore the left-handed relief work that also needs attention.
Internally, Kody Funderburk gives the Twins a left-handed option. Anthony Banda is still under team control, but lat surgery makes it hard to count on him immediately taking on a bigger role.
Outside the organization, Chicago White Sox left-hander Sean Newcomb is a name to watch. He’s on an expiring contract and put up a 3.09 ERA over 90.1 innings in 2026, with 84 strikeouts and six starts.
That kind of versatility could help cover innings if both veteran lefties depart, though Minnesota would still need more than one arm to handle two openings. His price could also climb beyond what he made before.
Bell’s option creates its own first-base question. Kody Clemens and Aaron Sabato are internal possibilities, but they shouldn’t be viewed as enough to settle the spot on their own. If Bell leaves, the Twins would need to compare that internal mix with either a new deal for Bell or an outside addition.
For Minnesota, the offseason should begin behind the plate. The cleanest path is to weigh a Jeffers reunion against a Caratini-Stephenson tandem, keep the Murphy idea tied to the right terms, and leave room to address the left-handed relief group. That would give the Twins a plan that doesn’t ask a distant catching prospect to carry the load.
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