Twins offer Ryan Jeffers $23.15 million to stay
The catcher has until Nov. 17 to decide whether to accept the one-year deal or pursue a longer contract with another team.
By Larissa Shah ·
Catcher Ryan Jeffers now holds the decision on his future with the Minnesota Twins. The team extended a qualifying offer on Monday, giving Jeffers until Nov. 17 to choose between staying or leaving.
The offer is for one year at a salary of $23.15 million. That figure represents the average of the top 125 highest-paid players in Major League Baseball. If Jeffers accepts, he will become the highest-paid catcher in the league for the next season. However, he is seeking a long-term deal, which makes acceptance less likely.
If Jeffers declines the offer, he enters free agency as the top catcher on the market. He would also rank among the top available hitters. The Twins would receive draft pick compensation if he signs with another club. This compensation helps offset the value they lost by not trading him before the July 31 deadline.
Jeffers, 29, posted strong offensive numbers in his final season with Minnesota. In 92 games, he hit .256 with an on-base percentage of .353 and a slugging percentage of .461. His .814 OPS included 14 home runs, 46 runs batted in, and 49 runs scored. Baseball Reference calculates his contribution as 2.8 wins above replacement, the third highest on the team despite a two-month absence due to a fractured hamate bone.
"I love the idea of a reunion. I also love the idea of … seeing what else is out there," Jeffers said. "I’m excited for this. I’ve worked really hard for this moment, for free agency, and that doesn’t mean the chapter here has closed. We’ll just see where we go."
The Twins currently have Victor Caratini under contract for next season. They also drafted Vahn Lackey as the No. 3 overall pick in 2026. Lackey finished an abbreviated first professional season at Class-A Advanced Cedar Rapids. The team will need a bridge player at the position until Lackey is ready to take over.
In other roster moves, the New York Mets claimed reliever Jack Anderson off waivers. The Chicago Cubs claimed Eric Orze. Anderson appeared in four games for the Twins last season without allowing a run. Orze began the year in the major league bullpen, pitched to a 5.88 earned-run average, and was optioned to St. Paul in July.
