Drew MacPhail Explains Twins' Fall League Plan for Young Catcher

With free agency open and the big-league catching spot still unsettled, the Minnesota Twins are also keeping an eye on a young catcher who is trying to make up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League.

Catcher Enrique Jimenez, who turns 21 on Tuesday, joined the Salt River Rafters after a 2026 season that was cut short by two separate injuries.

Minnesota got Jimenez from the Tigers on July 28, 2025, in the trade that sent pitcher Chris Paddack and pitcher Randy Dobnak to Detroit.

He hit .314 with a .490 on-base percentage in 11 games at Single-A Fort Myers this year, but his numbers dipped to .205 with a .340 on-base percentage over 24 games at High-A Cedar Rapids, and a hamstring strain in July looked like it had ended his season.

Jimenez was not part of the first Fall League plan, but a spot opened up when outfielder Jacob McCombs suffered an oblique strain, and Twins farm director Drew MacPhail said the team was happy to send Jimenez once he was ready.

"He progressed much quicker than anticipated down in Fort Myers for rehab. Otherwise we would've originally sent him [to the AFL]. But he was well ahead of schedule, so when we got the spot, we were excited to send him. The main priority is plate appearances and catcher developing time that he missed out on," MacPhail said in an update on the team's Fall League group.

Jimenez has had a slow start in Arizona, going 2-for-15 with four walks through six games, but the Twins sent him there for reps more than results.

MLB.com noted he is still working on the defensive side of the game, so the innings behind the plate count as much as the at-bats.

Catcher Ryan Jeffers elected free agency on Thursday, and catcher Victor Caratini is now the only catcher on Minnesota's 40-man roster.

There is a strong case that bringing Jeffers back should be the top priority, and Monday is the last day for the Twins to make him a qualifying offer.

If Jeffers does leave, and one report predicted he would turn that offer down, the Twins at least have a lot of young catchers behind the big-league group.

Catcher Vahn Lackey went No. 3 overall in this summer's draft, catcher Carson Tinney was the team's second pick, and catcher Khadim Diaw had a breakout year at the plate.

MLB.com ranks Jimenez as the No. 26 prospect in the system, and since Lackey and Tinney are a bit older and played at major college programs, Jimenez can develop at his own pace.

I like how the Twins are handling this, since Jimenez only played 35 games between Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids this year.

A few more weeks of at-bats and catching work matter more than his batting average in a small sample.

The front office also has a closer to find and other big decisions to make this winter.

Still, after a 77-85 season and a third-place finish in the American League Central, a team this thin at catcher should want every young catcher getting reps.