Are Jhonny Pereda and Mickey Gasper Competing to Be Ryan Jeffers's Backup Next Season?

[Cody Schoenmann]

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Entering the 2025 MLB regular season, catching depth (behind veterans Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez) was one of the most significant short- and long-term areas of concern for the Minnesota Twins. When the season began, Triple-A catchers Jair Camargo and Diego Cartaya were the primary high-minors fallback plans. Both possessing 40-man roster spots, either could have been called up to the majors if one of the two veterans had missed extended time early in the season.

Yet, following Cartaya's significant struggles at the plate and in the field and Camargo undergoing Tommy John Surgery in June, both players were designated for assignment and have since parted ways with the organization. Interestingly, catcher was one of the few positions relatively unaffected by the trade deadline's mass exodus in the short term, as neither Jeffers nor Vázquez was traded. Yet, the organization seemingly gained a long-term solution at the position, acquiring top catching prospect Eduardo Tait alongside starting pitching prospect Mick Abel in the deal that sent star closer Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Regardless, the position remained unchanged at the major-league level until Vázquez was placed on the 10-day IL with a left shoulder infection in early August. Since Vázquez was placed on the IL, 29-year-old rookie Mickey Gasper has supplanted him as Jeffers's primary backup, earning nine starts at the position. Gasper remained in this role until Jeffers was placed on the 7-day concussion IL retroactive to Sept. 5. In return, fellow 29-year-old backup backstop Jhonny Pereda was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul, inserting himself into the catching mix.

With Jeffers and Vázquez both on the IL, Gasper and Pereda have become Minnesota's catching tandem since early September, with Pereda earning five starts to Gasper's three. This Saturday, MLB.com's Patrick Donnelly reported that Vázquez is hoping to return before Minnesota's final road trip, which begins Sept. 23. Yet, given the fact that Minnesota is out of playoff contention, there is reason to believe both Jeffers and Vázquez could remain sidelined for the rest of season, with eyes on advancing their respective recoveries into the offseason and entering next Spring Training healthy.

That being the case, Gasper and Pereda could finish the 2025 regular season as Minnesota's catching tandem. These two being the only two options at the position is a rather bleak reality for the final month of the season. Yet, with Vázquez expected to depart the organization this offseason, there's at least some chance that Gasper and Pereda are in an active competition to become Jeffers's primary backup next season.

Obviously, the competition won't be won or lost over the next month. Offseason training, Spring Training performance, and overall recency bias (which will manifest next March) will be the deciding factors. Presumably, the team will also explore external additions at that spot over the offseason. Yet, strong performances from one or both of Gasper and Pereda could function as a springboard toward earning the upper hand. Let's take a look at how both players have performed since Jeffers was placed on the IL on Sept. 5:

• Gasper - .154/.214/.154, 14 plate appearances, two hits, zero doubles, zero home runs, one walk, 14.3% strikeout rate, 5 wRC+
• Pereda - .400/.471/.533, 17 plate appearances, six hits, two doubles, zero home runs, two walks, 23.5% strikeout rate, 184 wRC+

Obviously, 31 combined plate appearances is an exceptionally small sample. Yet, Pereda has significantly outperformed Gasper at the plate over the past two weeks. Pereda has driven the ball hard (54.5% hard hit rate) for extra bases, while posting a respectable 23.5% strikeout rate. On the other hand, Gasper has performed at a subpar rate, continuing the season-long trend of being one of the least effective hitters in baseball.

When assessing the defensive acumen of both backstops, Pereda again has the edge, generating 1 Defensive Run Saved (DRS) over 44 innings at the position compared to Gasper's -1 DRS over 92 innings. Pereda has the upper hand in FanGraphs's framing metric, sporting -0.1 FRM (which is effectively average) compared to Gasper's -0.8 FRM. Pereda also sports better blocking, pop time, and caught stealing metrics than Gasper, lending merit to the idea that Pereda is the overall superior option and possesses the inside track on Gasper heading into 2026.

Again, a poor Spring Training performance from Pereda, a strong Spring Training performance from Gasper, or team decision-makers ultimately electing to sign or trade for an established veteran catcher this offseason could make the prospect of Pereda winning the Opening Day backup catcher gig moot. Yet, given Minnesota's expected spending restrictions this offseason and Gasper's inability to perform at the plate or in the field, there is reason to believe Pereda is the favorite to begin next season as Jeffers's primary backup.

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[tarheeltwinsfan]

Where is La Tortuga. He could alternate between catching and relief pitching and pinch running.

[The Great Hambino]

Trick question: they're going to be competing for Jeffers' starting spot after he gets traded this offseason once it's clear he's not interested in an extension.

I'm kidding.  At least I hope I'm kidding.  

[tony&rodney]

30 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

Trick question: they're going to be competing for Jeffers' starting spot after he gets traded this offseason once it's clear he's not interested in an extension.

I'm kidding.  At least I hope I'm kidding.  

Jeffers will be a player that numerous teams should be interested in acquiring from the Twins. Jeffers is a solid catcher and his bat can play. Obviously, before the Twins trade Jeffers, they first need to find a couple of guys to send to Spring Training as catchers. There should be a couple of deals completed and perhaps a veteran backstop is signed. Noah Cardenas doesn't hit much but he is a pretty good catcher. 

We have seen some positives from both Pereda and Gasper but I'm not really thinking either is a solid pick for a roster spot next April. They will almost certainly be in camp in February though.

My uninformed prediction is that the Twins Opening Day 2026 catchers are not currently in the organization.

[RpR]

Is your computer broken or is it just your extreme bias showing.?

Gasper

Pereda

I would not mind if they let both Vazquez and Jeffers go and kept Gasper and Pereda.

[Cody Schoenmann]

1 minute ago, RpR said:

Is your computer broken or is it just your extreme bias showing.?

Gasper

Pereda

I would not mind if they let both Vazquez and Jeffers go and kept Gasper and Pereda.

I don't understand what point you are trying to make. I listed and provided analysis for the same statistics you inserted into your comment.

[RpR]

4 minutes ago, Cody Schoenmann said:

I don't understand what point you are trying to make. I listed and provided analysis for the same statistics you inserted into your comment.

Your stats. for Gasper are different, if you cannot see that .... the stats. for Pereda are recent the ones for Gasper are a long ways back.

[shimrod]

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

Trick question: they're going to be competing for Jeffers' starting spot after he gets traded this offseason once it's clear he's not interested in an extension.

I'm kidding.  At least I hope I'm kidding.  

You might be kidding but the Twins aren't. I expect Jeffers to be gone and his replacement will not be an upgrade. Vasquez resigning on a minimal deal might be the only thing that keeps Gasper off the 2026 roster. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

Trick question: they're going to be competing for Jeffers' starting spot after he gets traded this offseason once it's clear he's not interested in an extension.

I'm kidding.  At least I hope I'm kidding.  

I hope your kidding too, but it seems like a possibility

[Patzky]

24 minutes ago, RpR said:

Is your computer broken or is it just your extreme bias showing.?

Gasper

Pereda

I would not mind if they let both Vazquez and Jeffers go and kept Gasper and Pereda.

Depending on what the return for Jeffers would be, We're only two years away perhaps from the Tait era.. and one of them might be cancelled.

[Patzky]

6 minutes ago, shimrod said:

You might be kidding but the Twins aren't. I expect Jeffers to be gone and his replacement will not be an upgrade. Vasquez resigning on a minimal deal might be the only thing that keeps Gasper off the 2026 roster. 

I think for the pitchers' sanity they must at least consider offering Vazquez a deal.

[old nurse]

Gasper is competing to be the utility player. Pereda is trying to show he can be a major league player. They are different roles 

[Riverbrian]

30 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

I hope your kidding too, but it seems like a possibility

I can't speak for the Great Hambino but... speaking for myself. 

I see Jeffers on the roster due to current lack of options... However... if you really want to play the value game. 

It is better to take advantage of the catcher market than be a victim of it. 

So if the choice is limited to selling Jeffers or buying Rutschman or one of the top catching prospects and those are the only two considerations.  

I'd sell Jeffers eight days a week and I wouldn't even entertain the thought of paying the price for Rutschman. The reason is the catching market and the consistent over pay involved in those transactions. 

Those are not the only two choices and right now... I'd just sleep in the bed they made at the position. 

Jeffers and whatever they can scrape up cheaply. Concentrate on the other 24 roster spots. 

 

[jmlease1]

Gasper just hasn't shown he can hit MLB pitching nearly enough to be a serious consideration for backup catcher. It's tough enough to have a black hole in the lineup when they're excellent defensively, but Gasper simply isn't that. He's been better than advertised behind the dish...but that's really only because there's been a lot of talk about him being terrible back there. Instead he's well below average but not a butcher as a receiver. That would require him to hit, which he still hasn't.

Pereda definitely looks like a more skilled defender back there, but it's not a lot to judge on. Much like Gasper, the small MLB track record ain't good. He's hit well in AAA, but not as well as Gasper.

I don't think i'd be very happy with either getting slotted in as the backup for next season. Not sure either can be semi-competent at the plate. If I was forced to choose it'd probably be Pereda because if he ends up being a no-hit guy he'll might be average as a defender?

But that's saying so little. Ben Rortvedt (or someone of his ilk) is probably going to be available on a league minimum salary too.

[gman]

Depending on the rest of the team, I don't think it will matter if they trade Jeffers or resign Vasquez. They could just let Jimenez and Tait grow in the minors for 26 & 27. One of them may be ready to get some major league time by the second half of 27. In the meantime sign a good defensive catchers to work with the pitchers and bring up the best defensive minor league catcher they have.

[The Great Hambino]

7 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I can't speak for the Great Hambino but... speaking for myself. 

I see Jeffers on the roster due to current lack of options... However... if you really want to play the value game. 

It is better to take advantage of the catcher market than be a victim of it. 

So if the choice is limited to selling Jeffers or buying Rutschman or one of the top catching prospects and those are the only two considerations.  

I'd sell Jeffers eight days a week and I wouldn't even entertain the thought of paying the price for Rutschman. The reason is the catching market and the consistent over pay involved in those transactions. 

Those are not the only two choices and right now... I'd just sleep in the bed they made at the position. 

Jeffers and whatever they can scrape up cheaply. Concentrate on the other 24 roster spots. 

 

Right now, I don't actually think they're moving Jeffers because of the lack of current options, like you said.

However, I can't be sure of anything because we don't know how deep the cuts are going to be this offseason.  To me, given that Buxton, Ober, and Lopez were un-tradable at the time for various reasons, the only action they took at the trade deadline that suggests an intent to compete next year was retaining Joe Ryan - and from what I've read, that wasn't due to a lack of effort.  So that I suppose is enough to muddy the waters for those trying to discern what their future plans are (assuming they actually have future plans, which I'm not convinced is a given).  But if they do move Ryan - especially if they move Lopez as well - then anyone that isn't either pre-arb or Buxton is fair game.  If it gets to that point, then why not entertain moving Jeffers?  There would be more options in the offseason to replace him than there would be with an in-season move (hence no rumors of him getting traded this past deadline), even if it's a couple Vasquez clones, or even Vasquez himself at a more appropriate price point

 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

32 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I can't speak for the Great Hambino but... speaking for myself. 

I see Jeffers on the roster due to current lack of options... However... if you really want to play the value game. 

It is better to take advantage of the catcher market than be a victim of it. 

So if the choice is limited to selling Jeffers or buying Rutschman or one of the top catching prospects and those are the only two considerations.  

I'd sell Jeffers eight days a week and I wouldn't even entertain the thought of paying the price for Rutschman. The reason is the catching market and the consistent over pay involved in those transactions. 

Those are not the only two choices and right now... I'd just sleep in the bed they made at the position. 

Jeffers and whatever they can scrape up cheaply. Concentrate on the other 24 roster spots. 

 

Agreed, I think Falvey completes the teardown this offseason. Jeffers, Ryan and Lopez are his big three trade chips. Wallner is a distant 4, unless Buxton changes his mind.

i totally get your position, and this is where I was at pre-deadline. Since, the entire team has collapsed to the point where selling it for spare parts is all they’re getting.

[jorgenswest]

Does the catcher math change if they implement the challenge ABS system?

Maybe there is a once good prospect catcher out there that hasn’t been a good framer. Luis Campusano comes to mind. If Larnach isn’t in the plans than maybe they go for a swap or maybe Campusano is removed from the 40.

I wouldn’t devote significant resources towards the back up catcher.

[Dave Borton]

Quote

Again, a poor Spring Training performance from Pereda, a strong Spring Training performance from Gasper...

There is no way Gasper should be considered for the C position going forward. This is MLB, not AAA.

Someone mentioned Rohrvedt. He is hitting .340 over last 15 games. He has been starting a ton as of late for Dodgers as the Dodgers wind down their season. Rick Monday does radio color for the LAD and he has been extremely complementary of Rohrvedt's work behind the plate.

Filling the C position is tough. Doubly tough is finding that catcher who can work with what promises to be a very, very young pitching staff. 

Open the wallet that defies opening.

[mikelink45]

Are they really better than Noah Cardenas, Ricardo Olivar, Andrews Cossetti, or Patrick Winkel?  I don't have their stats, but I do see Gaspar and Pereda's. 

[IndianaTwin]

2 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

...the only action they took at the trade deadline that suggests an intent to compete next year was retaining Joe Ryan - and from what I've read, that wasn't due to a lack of effort. 

This is a wondering question, not a doubting question -- what have you read that suggests the Twins actively tried to trade Ryan?

What I read at the time was more like, "The Red Sox saw that the Twins were trading guys, including some that were cost-controlled, so they did their due diligence and reached out about Ryan, but balked at the Twins asking price." 

Here's the AI-generated summary: "The Twins sold a significant portion of their roster, which led to widespread rumors, and the Red Sox were reportedly interested in Ryan, but ultimately a deal did not materialize because the Twins didn't want to trade their ace and the Red Sox were unwilling to part with a major league player like Jarren Duran."

It's hard not to be cynical, but I didn't hear it as the Twins actively shopping Ryan. But if the Red Sox were willing to give a good young major leaguer (and presumably more) in a significant overpay, the Twins would have listened. I didn't read anything that suggested the Twins initiated conversation with teams on Ryan.

Did I miss stuff? 

 

(To me the 2026-directed action they took at the deadline was inaction on trading any starting pitchers or position players (other than Correa to free up money) that didn't include expiring contracts.)   

[BillyBallLives]

Must be a really slow news day if we’re hyping a battle for backup catcher in 2026.

[The Great Hambino]

41 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

This is a wondering question, not a doubting question -- what have you read that suggests the Twins actively tried to trade Ryan?

What I read at the time was more like, "The Red Sox saw that the Twins were trading guys, including some that were cost-controlled, so they did their due diligence and reached out about Ryan, but balked at the Twins asking price." 

Here's the AI-generated summary: "The Twins sold a significant portion of their roster, which led to widespread rumors, and the Red Sox were reportedly interested in Ryan, but ultimately a deal did not materialize because the Twins didn't want to trade their ace and the Red Sox were unwilling to part with a major league player like Jarren Duran."

It's hard not to be cynical, but I didn't hear it as the Twins actively shopping Ryan. But if the Red Sox were willing to give a good young major leaguer (and presumably more) in a significant overpay, the Twins would have listened. I didn't read anything that suggested the Twins initiated conversation with teams on Ryan.

Did I miss stuff? 

 

(To me the 2026-directed action they took at the deadline was inaction on trading any starting pitchers or position players (other than Correa to free up money) that didn't include expiring contracts.)   

I can't find what I'd read, might be paywalled, I might've fallen for an East Coast writer stating rumors as more factual than they were.  So I guess omit the lack of effort part.

In response to the rest of the 2026-directed action, there weren't any players other than Ryan (already discussed, which I granted could be used to support an effort to contend), Jeffers (who they weren't going to trade with literally no catching depth midseason), and Larnach (who could be a DFA candidate this offseason, not exactly in demand for contending teams) who were either arb 2 or arb 3 eligible next year.  Beyond them, there weren't any healthy starters or position players available to trade.  If you want to count Lewis, who I guess is technically arb 2 as a super 2 this offseason, trading him at the deadline would've been selling irresponsibly low on him.

Also, the returns from the trades were not indicative to me of an effort to contend in 2026.  Nothing was brought in to impact the position-player side in a meaningful way (if Roden and Outman are regulars next year, you're not contending) and the pitchers acquired with MLB potential in the short-term only have a realistic path to 2026 impact if some current starters are moved this offseason, which kinda defeats the purpose of reloading for contention in 2026.  Even if they're moved to the bullpen to fill the gaping hole there, it's incredibly wishful thinking to think they effectively adapt to a new role immediately, which is what would have to happen in order for them to be impactful for contention in 2026.  So outside a large infusion of free agent dollars (I'm not holding my breath on that happening), I don't see any path to contention that doesn't involve massive internal improvements in multiple areas and several starting pitcher prospects transitioning seamlessly to the bullpen.  In other words, a whole lot of wishful thinking

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, Dave Borton said:

Someone mentioned Rohrvedt. He is hitting .340 over last 15 games. He has been starting a ton as of late for Dodgers as the Dodgers wind down their season. Rick Monday does radio color for the LAD and he has been extremely complementary of Rohrvedt's work behind the plate.

He's getting starts because Will Smith is hurt and Rushing hasn't seized the job. But anyone who is betting on Rortvedt to keep hitting like this is...optimistic. (and I say that as someone who bought a lot of real estate on Rortvedt Island when he was a Twins prospect) He's a fine defensive catcher, but got dealt in a low-wattage backup catcher swap at the deadline and seems unlikely to get offered arbitration by the Dodgers, which is why I mentioned him.

There's a fair amount of churn on those good defense/no-hit catchers as teams try to get a little more out of the position or make room for a prospect. My point is, it wouldn't be hard to replace Pereda with a similar guy at league minimum, so you'd hope you could do better first.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

As long as the Twins owners and/or front office have a philosophy of trading the only major league capable hitting and fielding position player at a critical position (in this instance...the most critical position player to the entire pitching staff of 13 players) two years before he is eligible for free agency, with absolutely no reasonable replacement available , then the Twins will be a floundering, losing baseball team.

[Dave Borton]

20 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

...Pereda with a similar guy at league minimum, so you'd hope you could do better first.

No argument from me. Just an update on an old face who churned thru our system and a compliment from an old RF whom I enjoy in the booth at 80 years old. Monday, not me. He's got me by 3 yrs.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

Hopefully neither Mickey Gaspar or Pereda are the backup next year. I think that this is one of the issues that needs to be adressed over the offseason. Elias Dias could be a good add to backup jeffers

[Mike Sixel]

Gasper? Ugh, please, no.

[beckmt]

Given that I have little hope for the 2027 season being played, I can see the Pohlads selling everything not tied down and running with about a $60 - $70 million payroll in the expectation that what is paid out in 2027 will be litigated.  Biggest issue for me is the owners are unlikely to be on the same page, so why should the players settle.  Unless you both get a hard cap and a floor, there are going to be issues here. 

Gasper and Pereda seem reasonable to me as Jeffers is very likely to be traded, along with Lopez, Ryan, and Ober (if Twins get a decent offer). Idea would be a get an up and coming young ballclub in 2028 and see where it goes.  Can also see the Twins sticking Jenkins and Rodriguez in St. Paul for the year to prevent service time.  It is all dollars and cents. 

[DocBauer]

Short answer? I sure hope not!

Longer answer....

Gasper is a very good AAA hitter. While he only has around 90 AB with the Twins thus season, I just don't see a ML hitter. The fact that Boston just quit playing him at C in MILB doesn't give him a ringing endorsement. Also, for his MILB career, he's at 14% CS.

Pareda is not ad good of a AAA hitter as Gasper. But he's not been poor. At least for a C. He seems to be a more natural fit defensively. And his MILB career CS% is 33%. So he's got the better arm, and hasn't been told to hang up his mit by anyone at this point.

I'd like to aim higher. Exactly who that might be as I haven't taken time yet to review all the FA options, much less what kind of season they had. But just for reference sake, Elias Diaz has had a decent, solid career as a backstop...nothing special...and sat for months last offseason before signing with SD for $3.5M. Unfortunately for him, he had a poor season. So I'll just use him as a 2025 example for the moment.

Noah Cardenas is not a great HITTER and probably never will be. His career MILB AVG is only .241, though that is somewhat skewed by his one and only terrible season in 2024. But he has a MILB career OB% of .385! Pretty outstanding. That tells me he'll take some BB, stay within the zone, not K tremendously, and at least make the pitcher work some. He also doesn't have much power. He stroked a career high 10HR this year, with 7 coming at St Paul. Is that development of the league? I've generally always heard...going back to when he was drafted...that he's solid behind the plate and calls a good game. His 28% CS is pretty solid as well.

I see an inexpensive veteran signed to catch about 35-40% of the games. It might even be Vazquez on a much smaller deal, though I don't think any of us are all that keen on that idea.

If they want to keep Gasper around as a AAA bat at 1B/DH/C that's fine. But he shouldn't have a 40 man spot.

A veteran like Pereda at St Paul makes sense, but again, not on the 40 man. With a little more AAA time to just polish up his hitting skills a bit more, I think Cardenas might be the #3 guy for 2026.

I think Jeffers sticks around for all the obvious reasons, which have already been stated. Personally...while I don't think it will happen...I'd love to see him signed through 2028 for around $8-9M per. That bridges the time needed for Diaw, Tait, and maybe even Jiminez to be ML ready. And the $ number wouldn't/shouldn't be a hinderence in trading him before that to a team in real need of an experienced backstop with a good bat before that.