The Twins came out of the Aug. 3 trade deadline as buyers, not sellers, but that didn’t exactly lock in every name on the roster for next season. Minnesota kept a few players who looked like obvious trade chips, yet two of them still appear headed for the exit before long: catcher Ryan Jeffers and outfielder Trevor Larnach.
Jeffers is the cleaner case to sort through. He has put together a strong season at the plate, hitting .279/.386/.484 with a 146 wRC+, and he’s set to reach free agency at the end of the year.
That makes him the top catcher expected to hit the market. There’s a real argument for Minnesota to try to keep him, especially because productive catchers like this don’t come around often and a possible salary floor in the new CBA could push the Twins to spend more.
But the roster math cuts the other way. Minnesota has four catchers among its top 10 prospects on MLB Pipeline, Victor Caratini is under team control through 2027, and 2026 third-overall pick Vahn Lackey, a catcher from Georgia Tech, could be knocking on the door by the end of next season.
Lackey is 21, and while 2028 may be the more realistic arrival point, the way teams are moving top prospects now leaves room for a quicker timeline. It’s possible he could be the Twins’ starter by the end of the 2027 season.
Larnach’s situation is different, but the end result could still be the same. He remains under team control through 2027, yet there’s already evidence Minnesota was willing to move him.
Before the deadline, the Twins reportedly had a deal lined up with the Astros that would have sent Larnach to Houston for right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu, only for Astros owner Jim Crane to shut it down at the last minute. As one report put it: “Sources: The Astros and Twins had agreed to a trade that would send Bryan Abreu to the Twins for Trevor Larnach.
In the 11th hour, Astros owner Jim Crane nixed the trade. It is currently unclear if those talks will be revisited.”
That kind of talk tells you plenty. Larnach has hit .273/.359/.429 with a 123 wRC+ this season, and Minnesota’s willingness to include him in a deadline deal suggests his future with the club is far from secure. An offseason trade would make sense for the Twins if they want to add pitching and open the door for Walker Jenkins, FanGraphs’ No. 4 overall MLB prospect, to step into the outfield mix.
In Other News...
Twins Rotation Trouble Could Force A Risky Veteran Gamble
The Twins rotation has been a problem for most of August, and the lack of stable starting pitching has put extra pressure on the front office to find help without making a major commitment. One possible name is Michael Lorenzen, who has been available in a limited sense after a rough 2026 season but still carries the kind of track record that can make a low-cost gamble look appealing when a staff is short on answers.
Minnesota has had chances to circle back on Lorenzen before and stayed away, but the current situation is different enough to reopen the conversation. With the rotation under strain and the schedule offering little room to wait for things to sort themselves out, the question is whether the Twins are ready to revisit a familiar arm and see if a change of scenery can buy them some much-needed innings. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Double Down On A Roster Choice Fans Will Question
The Twins offense has spent too much time looking stuck in place, and the latest roster move only adds to the sense that the club is juggling short-term needs without finding a cleaner fix. In a season where lineup production has been a constant concern, Minnesota has continued to lean on roster flexibility while trying to keep enough catching depth on hand and still create room for somebody who can help the bats.
Alex Jackson is back in the picture after a very brief absence from the 40-man roster, a reminder of how quickly these decisions can turn when the team is patching together its depth chart. It also leaves the Twins once again carrying an arrangement that invites questions about whether they are prioritizing coverage over offensive upside, especially with other ways to reshuffle the roster still sitting there as possibilities. [Read more 🡒]