Twins trade Payton Eeles to Baltimore for catcher Alex Jackson

[Cory Engelhardt]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/twins-acquire-alex-jackson.html

[Cory Engelhardt]

1 minute ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/twins-acquire-alex-jackson.html

My GUESS is AAA depth, but maybe he is in the backup plans?

[stringer bell]

14 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

My GUESS is AAA depth, but maybe he is in the backup plans?

Better resume than Pereda. I think he's penciled in as the #2 catcher.

[Cory Engelhardt]

7 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Better resume than Pereda. I think he's penciled in as the #2 catcher.

His savant page looks decent as far as pop time and caught stealing. Backup catchers don't have to hit, and he is out of options.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/alex-jackson-656577?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

 

[stringer bell]

I know Eeles got a lot of love at TD, but there can't be much love for him in the front office when they are so woefully short on depth in the infield. 

This means they will have to take someone off the 40-man as well.

[stringer bell]

Just now, Cory Engelhardt said:

His savant page looks decent as far as pop time and caught stealing. Backup catchers don't have to hit, and he is out of options.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/alex-jackson-656577?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

 

BBRef has him positive defensively as well. He's pretty well traveled and I never heard of him.

[Mike Sixel]

Projection systems like him to hit fairly well next year.... I'm good with this trade..

[thelanges5]

Keirsey dropped from the 40. 

[thelanges5]

Agreed to terms with Topa, but I haven’t seen the dollar figure. Jackson projects for 1.8 million.  

[NYCTK]

43 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

Keirsey dropped from the 40. 

If this is the end of his Twins career, he went out on top...if you are looking at a list of worst hitters in franchise history. 

DaShawn is the only non-pitcher with over 100 PAs and a sub 0 wRC+. But he still made the show and can be proud of that for the rest of his life. 

[The Great Hambino]

Never heard of him, but he's been traded for guys I've heard of like Adam Duvall and Jose Trevino (and now Payton Eeles, I guess)

Can't be mad at low-wattage, basically risk-free trade for a thin position. No options remaining and a non-minimum salary

Best case scenario: he's the #2 catcher next season

Worst case scenario: he's the #1 catcher next season

[thelanges5]

1 hour ago, thelanges5 said:

Agreed to terms with Topa, but I haven’t seen the dollar figure. Jackson projects for 1.8 million.  

 Darren Wolfson of KSTP reports that Topa will be guaranteed $1.225MM in 2026 by his new contract.

[ashbury]

Quote

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/twins-acquire-alex-jackson.html

Projected for a $1.8MM salary in 2206

Man, that's a lot of years of team control.

[Riverbrian]

Catching has to be addressed and it should be addressed inexpensively. 

 

[harmony55]

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

Never heard of him, but he's been traded for guys I've heard of like Adam Duvall and Jose Trevino (and now Payton Eeles, I guess)

Can't be mad at low-wattage, basically risk-free trade for a thin position. No options remaining and a non-minimum salary

Best case scenario: he's the #2 catcher next season

Worst case scenario: he's the #1 catcher next season

The Mariners selected Alex Jackson with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft, the penultimate draft before Jerry Dipoto arrived in Seattle:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.fcgi?year_ID=2014&draft_round=1&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round

Dipoto traded Jackson to the Atlanta Braves in November 2016:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jacksal02.shtml#all_transactions_other

 

 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

Never heard of him, but he's been traded for guys I've heard of like Adam Duvall and Jose Trevino (and now Payton Eeles, I guess)

Can't be mad at low-wattage, basically risk-free trade for a thin position. No options remaining and a non-minimum salary

Best case scenario: he's the #2 catcher next season

Worst case scenario: he's the #1 catcher next season

That worst case might turn into 'most realistic' - can't imagine Jeffers is long for Minnesota.

[tony&rodney]

Jackson arrived to professional baseball as a prospect who did not have a position and was poor defensively but had a big bat. Over time Jackson developed into a fair enough backup catcher but his bat has termites. The current iteration of Alex Jackson makes Christian Vazquez a veritable base-hit machine. Jackson's career OPS is .527, but he did show some life last year. Hope springs eternal.

Payton Eeles never recovered from knee surgery. He looked bigger and much slower last season with his defense game declining. At least that was my perspective from watching him play on numerous occasions. I don't think the Twins ever intended to give him a shot and he didn't earned one so best Payton goes to another team.

[SteveLV]

Only thing positive about this move is they moved on from Kiersey.  Sorry to be harsh, but he can't hit.

[old nurse]

On 11/21/2025 at 9:52 AM, NYCTK said:

 

DaShawn is the only non-pitcher with over 100 PAs and a sub 0 wRC+. But he still made the show and can be proud of that for the rest of his life. 

In Twins history you are correct, in baseball history  it was Al Pardo. If the name sounds familiar then you are remembering Don Pardo

[Richie the Rally Goat]

15 hours ago, old nurse said:

In Twins history you are correct, in baseball history  it was Al Pardo. If the name sounds familiar then you are remembering Don Pardo

How could you forget Emory Long?

[old nurse]

43 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

How could you forget Emory Long?

Emory Long was a catcher, I figured he had a built in excuse. 

[lecroy24fan]

20 hours ago, old nurse said:

In Twins history you are correct, in baseball history  it was Al Pardo. If the name sounds familiar then you are remembering Don Pardo

Or in my case I'm just so old I remember him with the Orioles.

[Rigby]

57 minutes ago, lecroy24fan said:

Or in my case I'm just so old I remember him with the Orioles.

Me as well. I remember watching  him play in Charlotte.

[Parfigliano]

On 11/21/2025 at 8:06 AM, thelanges5 said:

Keirsey dropped from the 40. 

Finally our long national nightmare is over.