Minnesota Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Catcher

[Nick Nelson]

It's time to kick off my annual spring breakdown of position-by-position previews of the Minnesota Twins roster. We get started today with a look at catcher, where the near-term future is fairly clear but the longer-term outlook gets foggier.

Image courtesy of Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

Stability was once again the biggest strength for the Twins catching corps in 2024. For a second straight year, the team used only two starters behind plate all season. However, the duo of Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez failed to rate out better than average overall, and now we're entering the last year with this stable setup in place. 

Facing future uncertainty at the catcher position, Minnesota needs Jeffers to establish himself as a standout starter, and at least one player in the system to emerge behind Vázquez on the depth chart.

TWINS CATCHERS AT A GLANCE

Starter: Ryan Jeffers
Backup: Christian Vázquez
Depth: Jair Camargo, Diego Cartaya, Mickey Gasper
Prospects: Camargo, Cartaya, Patrick Winkel (NRI)

Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 14th out of 30
Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 16th out of 30

THE GOOD
Continuity and consistency behind the plate are good things. Any pitcher will tell you this: they like having a comfort level and rapport with their battery-mates. There's little question that the Twins staff trusts Jeffers and Vázquez, having worked exclusively with these two veteran backstops over the past year two years. While framing metrics and caught stealing rates have wavered, both catchers have very good reps as receivers and game callers. 

I said it in last year's writeup, but I'll repeat it here: this matters for run prevention, more than we can measure. I strongly believe the team's steadiness at catcher contributed significantly to the successes of Minnesota pitchers in both 2023 and 2024; there's maybe an outsized advantage to boasting such a seasoned catching corps while ushering young arms into the rotation.

The catcher position's offensive ceiling is somewhat capped, because it's just hard to envision Vázquez being anything more than a liability at the plate. The best hope is that he can improve from awful (60 OPS+ last year) to merely bad (81 career OPS+). He's going to get a sizable share of playing time, as a glove-first backup catcher and No. 9 hitter who occasionally hits a single or two. That's fine. Nothing special but serviceable.

The potential for this unit to transcend its middling expectations will be tied entirely to Jeffers' bat. He has shown the ability to be an elite offensive backstop, providing a key competitive advantage at a position with few great hitters. 

Jeffers dominated at the dish in 2023 and scorched out of the gates last year, leading all major-league catchers in wOBA (.372) from the start of '23 through May of '24. Then he slumped nonstop for the next four months — save for a modest hot streak in August — and was at his worst in September while the team faded from contention.

 

That finish left a sour taste, but let's not forget the ability Jeffers showcased in a much larger sample prior. Minnesota is counting on a number of key hitters to rebound after a collective meltdown in the second half last year; Ryan Jeffers might be at the very head of that list. Because, when he's on his game, the 27-year-old gives you that rarest of assets: a catcher you can confidently bat second or third on a regular basis. Rocco Baldelli did just that last year in April and May, before the declining performance forced a downward shift.

THE BAD
For all their injury misfortune elsewhere over the past two seasons, the Minnesota Twins have been stunningly lucky at catcher. This is a punishing, demanding position and the team has managed to get through two full seasons, 324 games, needing only two players. Certainly, Jeffers and Vázquez have shown to have durable makeups, but they're not superhuman. Eventually you've got to think their charmed runs of avoiding the injured list will reach an end. And even if not, Vázquez will be gone after this season. The Twins need to be thinking very deliberately about their depth beyond the top two.

Their offseason moves make evident that the front office wants to give itself some options, even if not remotely proven ones. They acquired Mickey Gasper from the Red Sox and Diego Cartaya from the Dodgers in low-wattage trades, providing some semblance of depth on the 40-man beyond Jair Camargo. There's promise within this group, collectively, but it's tough to trust any one of them individually.

 

Gasper has been a part-time catcher for years in the minors, but hasn't donned the gear in the majors, where he only got a cup of coffee last September. Cartaya is a former top prospect whose stock has cratered over the past year two years amid epic struggles in the upper minors. 

Camargo is likely first in line behind Vázquez, having spent two seasons on deck at Triple-A, but the downside of Minnesota's durable MLB duo is that Camargo has had no chance to get his feet wet in the majors. When his time comes, he'll be as green as Cartaya or Gasper. 

Given Gasper's defensive rep, I'm guessing he'll end up being more of an emergency-only option behind the plate, and the battle for No. 3 on the depth chart really comes down to Camargo and Cartaya. If one of those two can distinguish himself, he will be in line for a major-league role in 2026, and maybe an even a starting job down the line with Jeffers only two years from free agency. 

THE BOTTOM LINE
The Twins have one more season to give it a go with the Jeffers/Vázquez tandem behind the plate. This veteran pairing should once again rate well defensively while setting pitchers up for success. The big question is how much offense they can provide, and it largely hinges on Jeffers rediscovering the excellence that evaporated midway through last season.

The secondary depth behind these two is completely unproven. That will loom large if Jeffers and Vázquez break their durability streak at some point, and it even if not, the development of minor-league options like Camargo and Cartaya will be critical to the position's future beyond this year.

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We'll be breaking down the depth and outlook for every position across the roster in the coming weeks. Make sure to keep checking back, and let us know below how you're feeling about the catcher position for the Twins in 2025.

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[Mark G]

Are we getting catcher first because it is #1 on the diamond?  Are we going in numerical order?  🤭

Actually, I do have to admit I am surprised Vasquez is still here, but not disappointed.  He has been good with the pitchers, and I feel like he has made Jeffers better as well.  I can live with his offense (lack of?) as long as he continues to make everyone around him better, which I think he does.  Let's hope I am right.  🤔

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Yeah, I'm not upset that Vazquez is still around because if they traded him, it would likely have been a salary dump rather than a move made to upgrade the roster. Still not really sure what Camargo can be at the major league level and while I do think Cartaya is an intriguing prospect, I don't think he's ready to be the #2 catcher on a team that has post-season aspirations.

[mikelink45]

I agree with you assessment.  This is a weakness going forward next year and the two new pickups are not the shiny baubles we need.  Jeffers really disappointed at the bat last year.  He has shown ability for many stretches, but while the young players struggled at the end of the season, he was the veteran and needed to do more.  Vasquez is not the answer and is only here because we are overpaying him.  Not sure how they tried to negotiate trades, but I can only hope he will be motivated for his free agent year.

I always thought Winkel was under rated and wonder where Cossetti ranks - I have had higher expectations for him than the rankings show so far. 

[thelanges5]

Cartaya vs Camargo for the 2026 back up spot. I don’t think Gasper has played in a ST game yet?

Catchers in the system - Diaw, Winkel, Cosetti, Cardenas are question marks

2025 draft has some catcher depth per Jamie Cameron and we have 4 picks in the top 100?

 

[Doctor Gast]

Catching is the most important defensive & demanding position (physically & mentally) on the field. So defense needs to be the main focus when evaluating catching. In a supportive role, Jeffers is IMO the best catcher out there. Vazquez after a period of time of getting to know the pitchers & accustomed to the team his hitting has improved, hopefully, he can get close to hitting like he did at BOS when was settled there. Our MLB catching has been very nonexistent beyond Vazquez & Jeffers. Our average ish ranking would be a lot worse if not for the durability of Vazquez & Jeffers. Although Jeffers didn't get hurt last season, he does what he usually does when used beyond a weak side tandem, which is waning in the 2nd half. Vazquez has shown he can handle the workload, and Jeffers throughout his career has shown that he cannot. 

I have a lot of doubts that either Camargo or Cataya can elevate to the MLB 3rd catcher position that helps spell Jeffers in the 2nd half. So if they can't then Vazquez needs to take up the slack much like he did in '23 to maximize our catching performance. IMO durability is still very important while I have my doubts about Camargo & Cartaya being a 3rd catcher. IMO it'd be disastrous if they were to assume the backup catcher role for a long period of time. IMO Cataya can eventually develop into a MLB catcher. But carrying 5 catchers on the 40 man is a waste of valuable roster space. IMO Gasper will eventually get DFAed.

Since catching is so important, we need to elevate our catching into the top ten & preferably higher to compete. I'd rather draft & develop our own than be dependent on FA to provide for our catching needs. Looking at our future I don't see much hope.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

I am glad that you addressed the pitcher/catcher relationship as that is rarely commented on when discussing the Twins Catcher situation.  It is really hard to measure the value of Jeffers/Vasquez impact on the staff, but all outward appearances lead us to believe it is a plus.

Healthy veteran catchers that combine to a league average offense is nothing to scoff at.  It will help to remember this if/when Jeffers goes down for an extended period of time and the lack of quality options in MiLB becomes apparent.  

[Riverbrian]

8 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

I said it in last year's writeup, but I'll repeat it here: this matters for run prevention, more than we can measure. I strongly believe the team's steadiness at catcher contributed significantly to the successes of Minnesota pitchers in both 2023 and 2024; there's maybe an outsized advantage to boasting such a seasoned catching corps while ushering young arms into the rotation.

What you say in this paragraph can't be argued... but I will anyway. 

On paper what you say... makes perfect sense. The relationship between a Pitcher and Catcher has to matter in regards to run prevention. The relationship is important... It's hard to measure of course... but... it has to matter.  

With that said... These relationships are forged over time and they all have a beginning. When Vazquez was signed... he was at ground zero with the Twins staff. Sure he had that veteran catcher juice on him which probably allowed him to forge relationships quicker but there was a beginning with Vazquez with the Twins and there was a beginning for Jeffers with the Twins as well.

Delaying that beginning is just that... delaying that beginning until you are forced to begin a new.  

When you buy a new car... you gotta learn the new features. If this is a problem... just stay in your 2015 Toyota Camry and be comfortable with the .575 OPS that goes with it. However... Let's be clear... the neighbors are going to talk wondering why you spent 30 million dollars on that car.   

 

[Althebum82]

Great observation on the impact of pitchers dealing with experienced, dependable catchers.  It is an intangible which is hard to quantify but important nonetheless.

At this time last year I was hopeful for the futures of Camargo and Cardenas.  Then both hit the skids pretty hard last season.  Can't say there is really any reason for excitement at this position presently.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

18 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

 

When you buy a new car... you gotta learn the new features. If this is a problem... just stay in your 2015 Toyota Camry and be comfortable with the .575 OPS that it goes with it. However... Let's be clear... the Neighbors are going to talk wondering why you spent 30 million dollars on that car.   

Wait!  You mean if I get rid of my 1987 Yugo I can hit my way back to the majors instead of independent ball????  Time to go shopping!

[Rod Carews Birthday]

While you always want your team to be #1 at every position possible, middle of the road is an OK place to be if it works in the scheme of the rest of your team.   That makes me comfortable with this year's catching situation.  Cartaya and Camargo may or may not be the future of catching with the Twins, but we will learn a lot in the next few months of play.  As the third option, I think they are fine for now, and I hope they develop further. 

The catching situation after this year definitely needs to be addressed, but I don't see any reason to panic about it.  Yes, we should probably draft a catcher, but that only helps for a few years down the road.  This is something that could likely be addressed in trade or by taking a band aid approach in free agency.  Yes, they are on the clock to find the next solution, but that clock isn't really that close to zero that panic needs to ensue. 

[Riverbrian]

10 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Wait!  You mean if I get rid of my 1987 Yugo I can hit my way back to the majors instead of independent ball????  Time to go shopping!

I found this photo of Christian Vazquez online

[tony&rodney]

I'm fine with Vazquez and Jeffers as the catchers. My concern looks forward. Last October my first thoughts and ideas were towards adding 1-3 catching prospects via trade. Naturally, teams may not be amenable to trading their guys no matter what the offers. Perhaps the Twins tried, I have no idea. Picking up Cartaya was a good start. I will throw out my first idea and one other, both which may not be enough, possible, and each player could crater. First idea is to offer Brooks Lee for Jeferson Quero. Add Jorge Alcala if Milwaukee is open to the idea but wants more. Another idea is to offer Trevor Larnach for Endy Rodriguez. That would hurt the Twins a little bit. 

The present situation is decent but the team should consider how the position looks going forward.

[Muppet]

Vazquez' offensive numbers were pretty terrible overall. But over the last three months of the season he hit .266/.295/.705.  Obviously no Joe Mauer, but he was dramatically underrated during this stretch due to his abysmal start. That probably made him one of the Twins' best hitters in the last months. 

[Danchat]

I wouldn't be surprised if they went down to 3 catchers on the 40 man roster, and I wonder about what the team thinks of Camargo the way they avoided using him in the majors last year.

I don't think Gasper is going to be a factor as a catcher. If he was going to push for a backup catcher role, he's gotta convert to being a full-time (if not most-time) catcher. Until that happens I don't see it.

[bean5302]

3 hours ago, Mark G said:

Are we getting catcher first because it is #1 on the diamond?  Are we going in numerical order?  🤭

Pitcher is #1. Catcher is #2 :p

[bean5302]

Vazquez doesn't really add value. He's a safety net, and I hope the Twins trade him before the season starts because that will mean either Cartaya or Gasper has wowed management.

I'm not low on Cartaya at the moment. His poor performance at the plate in 2023 came after a promotion to AA, and in 2024 after a promotion to AAA. Both were accompanied by low BABIP possibly due to a lot of popups or poor contact, but his first half of 2023 and 2024 were both highly productive. Might be slow to adapt, and he might have a ceiling at the plate, but if he's a solid defensive catcher, he doesn't need to rake. Love the fact he threw out a baserunner trying to steal 2nd the other day.

Gapser is a total unknown at catcher. Doesn't seem like the Yankees or Red Sox really thought much of his catching skills, but Gasper was a catcher when he was drafted and remained a 1/2 time catcher throughout the minors. Mitch Garver was considered a butcher at the position until he got coached up. Perhaps Gasper can make the same strides defensively with a little help? His bat may or may not play. He'll have to swing the ball at the MLB level to have a chance.

When it comes to Camargo, he had a similar line at AAA to Cartaya last year, but it was Camargo's 2nd go 'round in AAA and he doesn't have the defensive reputation. Improving on both sides of the ball will be difficult.

[Doctor Gast]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

I'm fine with Vazquez and Jeffers as the catchers. My concern looks forward. Last October my first thoughts and ideas were towards adding 1-3 catching prospects via trade. Naturally, teams may not be amenable to trading their guys no matter what the offers. Perhaps the Twins tried, I have no idea. Picking up Cartaya was a good start. I will throw out my first idea and one other, both which may not be enough, possible, and each player could crater. First idea is to offer Brooks Lee for Jeferson Quero. Add Jorge Alcala if Milwaukee is open to the idea but wants more. Another idea is to offer Trevor Larnach for Endy Rodriguez. That would hurt the Twins a little bit. 

The present situation is decent but the team should consider how the position looks going forward.

I tried to insert a MLB Trade Rumors link but it didn't work  https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/. (you'll have scroll down a bit) it gives good catcher trade possibilities.

I've tried out a trade on all of them & more.

[Riverbrian]

58 minutes ago, Muppet said:

Vazquez' offensive numbers were pretty terrible overall. But over the last three months of the season he hit .266/.295/.705.  Obviously no Joe Mauer, but he was dramatically underrated during this stretch due to his abysmal start. That probably made him one of the Twins' best hitters in the last months. 

.669 OPS post all-star. 

Vazquez was actually better than Jeffers offensively post all-star break. Better than Kepler, Castro, Lewis, Margot, Miranda, Lee and Julien. 

That's how playing the long game works. It is justification for sticking with a struggling player knowing that some good times are bound to come. Farmer upticked after the all-star game as well. On the other hand... Kepler, Castro, Lewis, Margot, Miranda, Lee and Julien did not pay off with good times toward the end of the long game. And it is important to point out that in order to wait for that uptick good time down the road to come from Vazquez and Farmer. the club had to absorb a .556 from Farmer and a .514 from Vazquez Pre-All Star break. 

That kind of absorption is more than the Brawny Paper Towel guy can handle or should be asked to handle. 

 

 

[Doctor Gast]

5 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Vazquez doesn't really add value. He's a safety net, 

Vazquez doesn't have value only if you have a T-Ball philosophy mentality, (as long as you can hit you're good, defense isn't important). Because someone is over-priced doesn't mean they have no value.

It's true that'd it'd be disastrous w/o Vazquez in that sense. A safety net isn't used very often, only in case you need it as a safety precaution. But Vazquez has caught more games than Jeffers. The more he catches throughout the season, the better we are. Gasper is a safety net that hopefully you don't need. Vazquez isn't a safety net. 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

I found this photo of Christian Vazquez online

It is indeed a classic look!  It also looks to be in the best shape of it's life!

[Brandon]

Is this the last year?  The Twins could resign Vazquez to a more market value contract like 2 year 6-10 million total contract.  That would give us more time.  I think the complaint for Vazquez is decline in offense and he is not worth 10 million a season.  But he is worth 4 or 5 so why not resign him in that range after the season.  

[bean5302]

48 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

Vazquez doesn't have value only if you have a T-Ball philosophy mentality, (as long as you can hit you're good, defense isn't important). Because someone is over-priced doesn't mean they have no value.

It's true that'd it'd be disastrous w/o Vazquez in that sense. A safety net isn't used very often, only in case you need it as a safety precaution. But Vazquez has caught more games than Jeffers. The more he catches throughout the season, the better we are. Gasper is a safety net that hopefully you don't need. Vazquez isn't a safety net. 

Vazquez caught games because he was making $10MM per year, Baldelli likes to rest his players on a regular basis, catcher is a demanding physical position and Jeffers has missed time due to injuries. Vazquez provided -0.2 to +0.8 WAR last year, depending on your favorite mainstream WAR method and how much value you place in "catcher framing." 

Vazquez is not a plus defensive catcher by any traditional metric, and last year he produced his highest framing value that he's had since 2019 (he's been mostly neutral-ish recently). His sole premium defensive "skill" is related to catcher framing. A metric which is not repeatable and is not reflected in actual results on the field for Twins pitchers when comparing Jeffers and Vazquez.

In regard to Gasper, I've no idea how good he is. I'm glad to know you're an seasoned expert on his skill set despite having likely never seen him catch a single ball.

[Mark G]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Pitcher is #1. Catcher is #2 :p

Crap......I should have known that......😵

[Doctor Gast]

32 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Vazquez caught games because he was making $10MM per year, Baldelli likes to rest his players on a regular basis, catcher is a demanding physical position and Jeffers has missed time due to injuries. Vazquez provided -0.2 to +0.8 WAR last year, depending on your favorite mainstream WAR method and how much value you place in "catcher framing." 

Vazquez is not a plus defensive catcher by any traditional metric, and last year he produced his highest framing value that he's had since 2019 (he's been mostly neutral-ish recently). His sole premium defensive "skill" is related to catcher framing. A metric which is not repeatable and is not reflected in actual results on the field for Twins pitchers when comparing Jeffers and Vazquez.

In regard to Gasper, I've no idea how good he is. I'm glad to know you're an seasoned expert on his skill set despite having likely never seen him catch a single ball.

Defensive stats are very poor evaluations, especially for catchers, some are worse than others. I never said that Vazquez is elite. I don't need to see Gasper play to get an idea on his defensive talents, all I need to see is that at 29 years old has yet to catch in a MLB game & isn't projected to catch a '25 MLB game. You don't have to be an expert to make that judgement.

[DannySD]

I'm glad you mentioned the catcher/pitcher relationship. I think it's more valuable than people generally give it credit for (especially when posting negative Vasquez comments)

[bean5302]

 

1 hour ago, Doctor Gast said:

Defensive stats are very poor evaluations, especially for catchers, some are worse than others. I never said that Vazquez is elite. I don't need to see Gasper play to get an idea on his defensive talents, all I need to see is that at 29 years old has yet to catch in a MLB game & isn't projected to catch a '25 MLB game. You don't have to be an expert to make that judgement.

Do you have a DGastWAR set of metrics you could point me to?

[Doctor Gast]

6 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Do you have a DGastWAR set of metrics you could point me to?

How did MLB ever survive before WAR? All the best players must have slipped through.

[bean5302]

6 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

How did MLB ever survive before WAR? All the best players must have slipped through.

Players were always evaluated based on metrics. The metrics have changed. Please point me to the DrGast metrics I can use to evaluate Christian Vazquez.

[TopGunn#22]

I like tony&rodney's suggestion of a Larnach for Endy Rodriguez trade.  Not now, but maybe mid-season or more probably the 2025-2026 off season.  We have E-Rod and Walker Jenkins on the way with a decent chance that Luke Keaschall could play some LF too.  We have options for the OF post-Larnach. 

The Pirates have decided the catching days are over for Henry Davis.  That still leaves Joey Bart, the former Giants prospect who had a solid year last year, and Endy Rodriguez.  Endy-Rod has had some injury issues the last couple of seasons and the Pirates need to see him play and rebuild some value.  Larnach showed solid improvement last year and if he builds on that in 2025 a trade could be very beneficial to both teams.

The Twins cannot make this trade next week.  They need Vasquez for 2025.  Someone mentioned the possibility of Vasquez signing an extension with the Twins at a more acceptable market value than $10 million a season.  While that's possible, I don't see that happening.  The Twins will be focused on Cartaya's development and to a lesser degree, Camargo's.  

I'm still not a huge fan of Jeffers but acknowledge his value.  It's possible if Cartaya and/or Camargo show improvement in 2025 and the Twins and Pirates complete a trade of Larnach for Endy Rodriguez that a trade of Jeffers and departure of Vasquez ushers in a new set of catchers in 2026.