The Minnesota Twins have an important decision to make this offseason.
The Minnesota Twins have plenty of free agents this offseason, but the biggest is undoubtedly catcher Ryan Jeffers. For the first time in his career, the 29-year-old former second-round pick is hitting MLB free agency.
Jeffers has spent his entire professional career in Minnesota and just completed his seventh season. He has been valuable for the Twins throughout, but staying on the field has been the persistent issue. He has appeared in more than 100 games just twice in that span. This year he played just 92 games due to a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.
Still, it is hard to deny the impact he makes when healthy. He plays great defense behind the plate and is a top-tier hitter for the position, and players like him are genuinely hard to find. He hit .256 with a .353 on-base percentage and .814 OPS along with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs in 2026.
With that production, the question now becomes whether the Twins should bring him back. The answer should be yes, but there are reasons to hesitate.
Minnesota already has catcher Victor Caratini under contract for $6.5 million in 2027, making Jeffers more of a luxury than a clear need. But it is hard to find a world where Jeffers is not the more impactful player.
The bigger problem is cost. Jeffers' next deal, despite the injury history, is likely going to exceed $50 million, and even with Minnesota's intention to spend more this offseason, that would consume a significant portion of their available budget.
The Twins are expected to extend Jeffers a qualifying offer, which he is expected to decline given he will likely command more on the open market in what is shaping up to be a weak free agent class. If he signs elsewhere, Minnesota will receive draft pick compensation.
The Twins will have to compete with the entire league for Jeffers, who fully intends to weigh his options. However, he did enjoy his time in Minnesota, and his status as an established long-tenured veteran could carry a lot of value for such a young core.
Even with the injury risk, the math still works in Minnesota's favor. If Jeffers appears in 90 to 110 games per season at an average annual value of $15 million on a three or four-year deal, he would still be in his early 30s at the end of it and providing significant value throughout. The Twins would be hard-pressed to find a better option at the position, and letting him walk to a competitor would be a difficult decision to justify.
