The Twins have already put their cards on the table with Ryan Jeffers, and now the next move belongs to the catcher.
Minnesota extended Jeffers a one-year qualifying offer worth $23.15 million on Nov. 2, then waited for his response. On Wednesday, a source told Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Star Tribune that Jeffers intends to turn it down and chase a multi-year deal.
He has until 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Nov. 17, to make it official.
That doesn’t automatically close the door on a return to Minnesota. Nightengale reported that the Twins are still trying to work out a long-term contract with Jeffers, and he described the situation as “an expected outcome for the best catcher on the free-agent market.” The club, according to Nightengale, is “hopeful they can re-sign him.”
If Jeffers does land elsewhere, the Twins would receive a compensatory draft pick. But the bigger issue is what the roster looks like without him.
Behind the plate, Victor Caratini is the only catcher currently on the Twins’ 40-man roster. He is due $10 million next season after hitting .220/.312/.315 with seven home runs and 44 RBI in 106 games in 2026.
General manager Jeremy Zoll put it plainly: “I’m really glad we have Vic in the org. It just gives us a nice floor to work off of,” Zoll said.
There isn’t much immediate help coming from the farm, either. Vahn Lackey, the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, and Eduardo Tait, the top prospect acquired in the Jhoan Duran trade, are “at least a year from reaching the major leagues in a best-case scenario,” the Star Tribune reported.
That’s why Jeffers has been such a central offseason piece for Minnesota. The Twins made him the first priority at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, with a visit to Boras, and Zoll has already said, “We have made clear that we’d love to have him back, not just in a [qualifying offer] scenario, but in other scenarios too,” Zoll said. Dan Hayes of The Athletic also reported the Twins have “genuine interest” in a reunion.
Jeffers’ case is built on a profile that’s hard to find. His agent, Scott Boras, called it rare: “A right-handed bat at catcher, it’s kind of a constellation of talent,” Boras said Wednesday. “It’s something that pretty much creates a star skill market for players at that position.”
The numbers back up why he’ll have a market. Jeffers hit .256/.353/.461 with an .814 OPS, 14 home runs, 19 doubles and 56 RBI in 92 games in 2026, even while dealing with a fractured left hamate that sidelined him from May 19 until July 10. Since debuting in 2020, he has posted 82 home runs, 279 RBI and a .753 OPS in 607 games, all with Minnesota after the Twins selected him in the second round, 59th overall, out of UNC Wilmington in 2018.
Early projections already point to a strong free-agent market. ESPN has Jeffers as the 14th-best free agent available, with a projected three-year, $51 million deal. MLB Trade Rumors ranks him ninth and projects a four-year, $75 million contract.
Nightengale also reported that the Twins want to be aggressive in free agency before the looming Dec. 1 lockout, and keeping Jeffers remains one of their priorities.
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