Twins Bring Back a Familiar Face Behind the Plate

[Cody Christie]

The Twins dipped back into familiar waters this week, agreeing to a minor league deal with catcher David Bañuelos. The deal includes an invitation to big league camp, giving Bañuelos a chance to reintroduce himself to an organization that knows him well.

At 29 years old, Bañuelos does not bring much in the way of major league experience. His time in the big leagues has been fleeting, appearing in just two games with Baltimore across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Those appearances amounted to three plate appearances and not much opportunity to leave an impression. The Orioles ultimately removed him from their roster last summer, and he hit free agency after the season.

Even in the minors, recent playing time has been hard to come by. Baltimore frequently stashed Bañuelos on its taxi squad as emergency depth, which limited his opportunities to get regular at-bats. Over the last two seasons, he logged fewer than 200 plate appearances on the farm and struggled to find a rhythm in sporadic usage.

That lack of recent production does not erase his longer history in Minnesota. Originally acquired from Seattle in 2017 for $1 million in international bonus pool money, Bañuelos spent several years climbing the Twins' minor league ladder. From 2021 through 2023, he bounced between Double- and Triple-A, offering occasional power but also plenty of swing and miss. In 176 plate appearances in the minors over the past two years, he slashed .171/.284/.270 (.554).The offensive upside never fully arrived, but the defensive reputation stuck.

That glove-first profile is what brings him back into the picture now. The Twins currently project Ryan Jeffers and Victor Caratini as their primary catching tandem, with Caratini also capable of spelling first base or serving as a designated hitter. Alex Jackson looms as the third catcher on the roster, though his lack of remaining options complicates the roster math.

Bañuelos slots in neatly as depth beyond that group. He gives the Twins a reliable defensive presence at Triple-A and an experienced option if injuries strike or roster maneuvering thins the catching corps. If Jackson were to be lost on waivers, or if the Twins need an extra backstop for a short stretch, Bañuelos provides coverage without forcing a rushed promotion.

There is also a longer view to consider. If the Twins fall out of contention later this summer, Jeffers becomes an obvious trade chip as an impending free agent. Even Caratini, under contract through 2027, could draw interest in the right scenario. In that kind of shakeup, organizational depth suddenly matters a lot more.

For now, the signing is quiet and practical. Bañuelos is unlikely to push his way into a prominent role, but he fills a necessary space on the depth chart. Those are the kinds of moves that rarely make headlines in February, yet often become important by August.

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[rdehring]

The Twins keep adding catchers who could be called up, if needed due to an injury on the big club.  Certainly seems like they are postering to do something.  Maybe trade Jeffers?

[twinstalker]

1 hour ago, rdehring said:

The Twins keep adding catchers who could be called up, if needed due to an injury on the big club.  Certainly seems like they are postering to do something.  Maybe trade Jeffers?

I thought this might be one of the ideas that Falvey and Pohlad didn't see eye to eye on.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

They keep adding catchers...

[Dave Borton]

2 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

They keep adding catchers...

But the signing points to the lack of potential in the pipeline,

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

36 minutes ago, Dave Borton said:

But the signing points to the lack of potential in the pipeline,

Twins, pipeline, and talent - three words that shouldn't be used in the same sentence.

[CRF]

What the hell is going on with all the catchers? They're gonna do something, but what? Jeffers?

[DocBauer]

2 hours ago, CRF said:

What the hell is going on with all the catchers? They're gonna do something, but what? Jeffers?

Personally, I don't think Jeffers is going anywhere. Currently at AAA they have Cardenas and Winkel. I'm fairly high on Cardenas as a future backup with a bat and OB/contact approach that won't embarrass at the plate. Winkel...well...they like his defense and how he handles a staff, but the bat is pretty poor. They will both, undoubtedly, end up in camp with Banuelos to handle the number of pitchers on hand.

But the only "catcher" from AA that's ready to move up is Olivar. And frankly, he's much more of a LF than a true catcher. And between the daily, active roster and the reserve list, you've got to have 3 available. That's why the signing of Banuelos. Now, it's POSSIBLE Jackson passes through waivers...if not traded during ST to a team with injuries and in need...and ends up with the Saints. But you can't plan on that at this point. That's why Banuelos was signed.

[Doctor Wu]

For now, the signing is quiet and practical. Bañuelos is unlikely to push his way into a prominent role, but he fills a necessary space on the depth chart. 

That aptly sums it up. Practical works for me at this point. 

[Fatbat]

Hoarding AAA talent until 1. Injury 2. Trade.3 development from within.  Its a good minor league signing. 

[JADBP]

soooo boring!

[IndianaTwin]

"Adding catchers" on minor league contracts is pretty much common practice for teams heading into spring training.

Between workouts, games and even batting practice, there are lots of pitchers throwing lots of pitches, which leads to needing lots of catchers to catch lots of pitches. Defensively minded catchers are particularly helpful in this setting. Familiarity with the system is a bonus.