Inside the Twins’ Catching Pipeline

[LambchoP]

I still say the catcher we got in the rule 5 draft, Susac?, would have been a legit backup catcher. Had great AAA numbers for OAK. Much better than the automatic out that is Jackson. Can anyone explain why we grabbed Susac who would've helped this year, just to immediately dump him for a teenage catcher years and years from contributing? This team seemingly has no idea what they are doing, it really is sad and frustrating as a fan...

[tarheeltwinsfan]

The content of this article was very interesting. Thanks to Corey for writing it. Thanks also to all who posted on this content. It has been a fun series of posts.

[lecroy24fan]

1 hour ago, LambchoP said:

I still say the catcher we got in the rule 5 draft, Susac?, would have been a legit backup catcher. Had great AAA numbers for OAK. Much better than the automatic out that is Jackson. Can anyone explain why we grabbed Susac who would've helped this year, just to immediately dump him for a teenage catcher years and years from contributing? This team seemingly has no idea what they are doing, it really is sad and frustrating as a fan...

Because SF asked them to pick him and trade him to them. Probably some cash sent with the A ball prospect they got in return.

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, LambchoP said:

I still say the catcher we got in the rule 5 draft, Susac?, would have been a legit backup catcher. Had great AAA numbers for OAK. Much better than the automatic out that is Jackson. Can anyone explain why we grabbed Susac who would've helped this year, just to immediately dump him for a teenage catcher years and years from contributing? This team seemingly has no idea what they are doing, it really is sad and frustrating as a fan...

The Twins desperately need a second catcher if they're trying to compete. Desperately. Falvey can't help himself, though. The trade was utterly stupid. The Twins had a legitimate, major need they potentially addressed. A need which was created by Falvey's incompetence in the first place. Instead of continuing to try to correct his mistakes, he made another. If Falvey really wanted Caraballo, it's not like he couldn't have packed something up and swung a deal for him separately.

[KirbyDome89]

On 1/9/2026 at 9:31 PM, old nurse said:

You are complaining someone isn’t using your definition of the word. 

With absolutely zero context, sure, the Twins possess a pipeline, and the flow rate doesn't enhance or diminish its existence. 

If we're talking about a pipeline within the context of baseball, production is implied. That's a logical connection. 

[bean5302]

Semantics aside, it's clear the Twins' catcher development system is barren.

There's nobody in the system who could be expected to potentially fill a starting catcher role (or backup) role within reasonable reach of the MLB club in the next two years and Jeffers is gone at the end of the year.

Cardenas is a long shot, at best, despite surface level output in AAA which would suggest there is something potentially there. Tons of weak contact despite being selective (passive) at the plate means he's likely to get eaten up by MLB pitchers, and though he showed pop, his max EV suggests below average raw power.

Cosetti took a big leap forward at the plate last year, but at age 25 in his second trip through AA and nearly 1500 plate appearances in MiLB since being drafted out of college, it's likely all polish, and the 40% swing rate won't play at MLB just like the near 30% pop up rate suggests whiffs will skyrocket against better pitches. A total inability to control the run game remains, but at least he stopped letting balls fly past his glove to the backstop so regularly. Still, he projects as MiLB roster filler.

The rest of the high minors guys aren't worth mentioning.

[Major League Ready]

4 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

With absolutely zero context, sure, the Twins possess a pipeline, and the flow rate doesn't enhance or diminish its existence. 

If we're talking about a pipeline within the context of baseball, production is implied. That's a logical connection. 

A pipeline is a mechanism.  The quality and quantity of the product flowing through that mechanism is an entirely different story.  It would make perfect sense to me to say that there is not much in the pipeline, Why is it logical to assume a delivery mechanism is full or is providing high quality.  I don't see how that is logical.   If it were logical, every team would have a number of high-quality catching prospects in their pipeline.

[Cory Moen]

10 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Mickey Gasper is on the 40-man roster.

My mistake there. He is listed as an infielder and not under catcher

[KirbyDome89]

20 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

A pipeline is a mechanism.  The quality and quantity of the product flowing through that mechanism is an entirely different story.  It would make perfect sense to me to say that there is not much in the pipeline, Why is it logical to assume a delivery mechanism is full or is providing high quality.  I don't see how that is logical.   If it were logical, every team would have a number of high-quality catching prospects in their pipeline.

A baseball "pipeline," is metaphorical. If nothing is being delivered the metaphor begins to fall apart. hence my "within the context of baseball, production is implied," line from the post you quoted. 

[Major League Ready]

4 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

A baseball "pipeline," is metaphorical. If nothing is being delivered the metaphor begins to fall apart. hence my "within the context of baseball, production is implied," line from the post you quoted. 

I have heard members of baseball media say something like team X does not have much in their pipeline for a given position on many occasions.  While you may assume it means they have an ample supply, others commonly and correctly in my opinion describe a pipeline to be what a team has coming regardless of how great, poor, or somewhere in between that pipeline happens to be.  

[KirbyDome89]

3 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

I have heard members of baseball media say something like team X does not have much in their pipeline for a given position on many occasions.  While you may assume it means they have an ample supply, others commonly and correctly in my opinion describe a pipeline to be what a team has coming regardless of how great, poor, or somewhere in between that pipeline happens to be.  

I'm happy to default to the position that if we're using a metaphorical pipeline to describe the C situation within the organization, functionality is implied. 

"The (insert terrible farm system for random MLB team here) is a veritable treasure chest. I didn't say there was any actual treasure in the chest..." Eye Roll. 

 

[RpR]

Beyond grammer, this is an interesting article.

https://www.mlb.com/news/twins-2026-roster-outlook-catcher