The Minnesota Twins haven't made any major moves this offseason besides signing first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell, but they could ship out catcher Ryan Jeffers if the stars align.

The Philadelphia Philies are eyeing Jeffers as a contingency option behind the plate if they don't bring back three-time All-Star J.T. Realmuto, per The Athletic's Matt Gelb.

"The Phillies have explored contingencies because pitchers and catchers report to Florida in five weeks. It would be ideal to have a starting catcher report," he reported. "The Phillies have talked trades for catchers, young and old; Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers is one potential target, league sources told The Athletic."

"But the closer everyone gets to camps opening, the more reluctant teams are to trade away a catcher," he continued." Victor Caratini, who has never started more than 87 games in a season at catcher, is still on the free-agent market and could wait until Realmuto decides to pick his own destination."

Twins Could Have Leverage in Ryan Jeffers Trade

Jeffers is no Realmuto, but he's a passable stopgap option. The 28-year-old did have a better slash line this past season, as he slashed .266/.356/.397 with nine homers and 47 RBIs over 119 games while Realmuto slashed .257/.315/.384 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs over 134 games. However, Realmuto owns a .270/.328/.447 line over 1,373 career games, while Jeffers is at .239/.321/.419 over 515 contests. 

Defensively, Jeffers tallied five errors and threw out 13 baserunners out of 70 stolen bases attempted (18.6 percent) in 2025, while Realmuto had six errors and threw out 30 runners out of 101 stolen bases attempted (29.7 percent). In short, Realmuto is usually better on both sides of the ball.

However, that's why Realmuto is worth more money. The former Miami Marlin has a market value of two years, $25.8 million ($12.9 million average annual salary), while Jeffers will make $6.5 million for his final arbitration season in 2026, per Spotrac.

If Philadelphia's negotiations with Realmuto continue to stall over the coming weeks, Minnesota could take advantage. As Gelb mentioned, it's not ideal to be without a starting catcher when pitchers and catchers report, so the Twins could demand prominent assets in Jeffers trade talks. 

The Twins have no urgent need to trade Jeffers' despite his expiring contract, as they could replace him with a prospect or another veteran if he doesn't re-sign. Conversely, the Phillies may be in a desperate position, especially as a team looking to compete in the NL East. 

If Realmuto doesn't sign, Minnesota must demand rising young big-leagers and/or prospects in exchange for Jeffers.