The Twins Have a Catching Surplus They Could Put to Good Use

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins have a luxury that almost every other major-league team would love to have: an abundance of young catching talent in the minor leagues. According to Twins Daily’s prospect rankings, five of the organization’s top 20 prospects are backstops. Vahn Lackey headlines that group as the No. 2 prospect in the system, while Eduardo Tait checks in at No. 8. Carson Tinney, Khadim Diaw and Enrique Jimenez round out the group at No. 11, No. 13 and No. 20, respectively.

Obviously, not all of those players are going to become impactful major-league catchers. That’s the reality of having this much talent at one position. Some prospects will develop into everyday players, others could become useful backups, and some won’t make it to the majors at all. But that’s also what makes the Twins’ situation unique.

Minnesota already has three catchers on their major-league roster, and Derek Shelton and the Twins have shown they aren’t afraid to utilize multiple backstops when the situation calls for it. With so much catching talent coming through the system, the organization could eventually have more prospects than it realistically has room for. That could make some of them valuable trade chips this offseason.

Before getting carried away with potential trades, there are a couple of names that can probably be crossed off the list. I think Target Field would burn to the ground if the Twins traded Lackey. Minnesota just selected Lackey third overall in July’s MLB Draft, and his first taste of professional baseball has been extremely promising. In 52 plate appearances at High-A Cedar Rapids, Lackey has posted a 1.000 OPS.  Obviously, it’s an incredibly small sample size, and there’s still a long way to go before Lackey is ready for the majors. But the early returns are about as good as the Twins could have hoped for. More importantly, he looks like the organization’s catcher of the future. It would make very little sense for the Twins to turn around and trade him before he’s even had a chance to develop. Lackey is going nowhere.

The same is probably true for Tinney, whom Minnesota also just drafted this summer. There’s little reason to believe the Twins would move on from a player they just invested in, unless something completely unexpected happens. (We have seen a slight uptick in the frequency of such trades, since the rules were modified to allow draft picks to be traded any time after the end of the World Series in the year in which they're drafted, but it's usually guys who get a lot of helium and become strong trade chips after being relatively low picks. Tinney doesn't fit the mold.) That leaves Tait, Diaw and Jimenez as the realistic trade candidates.

Of those three, Tait is easily the most intriguing. The Twins just spent a first-round pick on Lackey, but Tait was one of the organization’s most highly regarded prospects before that selection. If Minnesota decides it needs to make a significant addition this offseason, Tait could be the piece that gets a deal done—assuming you find the right buyer. His stock is, undeniably, a bit down from where it was when the Twins got him as the centerpiece of the Jhoan Duran deal. He'd need to be a co-headliner in any deal, and he doesn't unlock top-tier targets for you. But he still moves the needle, if you find someone who believes in him behind the plate.

Diaw or Jimenez could be used as part of a smaller deal. The bullpen immediately comes to mind. Minnesota did a lot to improve their relief corps at the trade deadline, adding several arms who helped stabilize what had been a major weakness earlier in the season. But let’s be realistic here: there’s still more work to be done.

The Twins are going to have opportunities to add relievers this offseason, with plenty of bullpen arms entering the final year of their contracts. A prospect like Diaw or Jimenez could be enough to facilitate a one-for-one deal for a useful major-league reliever. That might not be nearly as exciting as using Tait and a top outfield prospect to aim for a bigger prize, but it could ultimately be just as important. Bullpens are volatile, and the Twins have already learned how quickly a strength can become a weakness. Adding another reliable arm could make a meaningful difference over the course of a full season.

None of this is to say that the Twins have to trade any of these catchers. There’s a good argument for keeping all of them. Catching is probably the most physically demanding position in baseball, and having multiple talented options in the system provides valuable insurance against injuries, stalled development or prospects failing to reach their expected ceiling. But that doesn’t mean the Twins should ignore the trade value they have created.

Five of their top 20 prospects are catchers. Most organizations would love to have that problem. The Twins now have the flexibility to keep developing that group and see how everything shakes out, or they can use some of that depth to address more immediate needs. If Minnesota believes it can make a legitimate push in 2027, they should at least consider the latter.

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[DJL44]

Please do not trade prospects to “make a push” in 2027

[D.C Twins]

No such thing as a catching surplus... 

[jmlease1]

Diaw seems unlikely to stick at catcher; his athletic gifts seem to do him better in the OF. The prospect depth is good for sure, but none of it is in AAA yet, so you don't really have much of a surplus yet.

Could it create trade opportunities? Sure, but while Tait did fine this season he wasn't a world-beater and I suspect right now you'd be mostly getting bad offers from teams hoping we're dumb enough to sell low.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

If only any of these guys were ready to be starting catcher for the Twins next season.  The team is quite lacking in candidates for that gig.

 

[mickster]

would be great to bring back Jefferson on a 3 year deal to bridge the gap,   Tait can be traded, but don't sell low at this point.

[PuckettPond]

We need more quality catching depth not less as Bryan Harper was our last quality catcher.

[Coach]

When the Twins went 1 & 2 for catchers in the draft, and we already had Tait and Diaw, I was impressed.  Besides athletic SS's, there is probably the greatest shortage of hitting/defensive Catchers.  Talk about an inventory for future trades and internal competition to get to the Twins!  Please, make sure they are brought along properly so we don't waste their given talent.  "God did not give us dreams, without also giving us, the ability to make them come true."  In other words, don't hinder them, help them. Just saying.

[Coach]

1 hour ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

If only any of these guys were ready to be starting catcher for the Twins next season.  The team is quite lacking in candidates for that gig.

 

Trial by fire; Lackey. It worked for Wynegar.  Why not?  Give him plenty of opportunities in Spring Training and see how things shake out.

[mikelink45]

Best catchers to trade - Jackson and Caratini!  Oh, wait, we don't have anyone else for 2027. 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

4 minutes ago, Coach said:

Trial by fire; Lackey. It worked for Wynegar.  Why not?  Give him plenty of opportunities in Spring Training and see how things shake out.

Maybe, but what a weird career he had.  If I remember correctly, they brought him straight up from A ball.  He looked like he might be a major star his first few years for us, had a couple of good years for the Yankees, and was pretty much done at age 29.  Not sure bringing him up early was what caused it, but it was certainly weird.  Lackey certainly has more experience than Wynegar did, but I'm not sure the situation is the same in the league now as it was then.  

[Coach]

9 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Maybe, but what a weird career he had.  If I remember correctly, they brought him straight up from A ball.  He looked like he might be a major star his first few years for us, had a couple of good years for the Yankees, and was pretty much done at age 29.  Not sure bringing him up early was what caused it, but it was certainly weird.  Lackey certainly has more experience than Wynegar did, but I'm not sure the situation is the same in the league now as it was then.  

Thanks RC, I always respect your posts.  Check this out while he was with the Twins: Butch Wynegar Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

[DJL44]

35 minutes ago, Coach said:

Trial by fire; Lackey. It worked for Wynegar.  Why not?  Give him plenty of opportunities in Spring Training and see how things shake out.

The Twins only get 5 years from a player before they’re forced to trade them. Do you really want to use one of those 5 years “seeing how things shake out”?

[LastOnePicked]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Please do not trade prospects to “make a push” in 2027

The Sonny Gray trade worked well - we just didn't see it to fruition.

I just want a FO that I trust to exploit the market when opportunities arise.

[Coach]

3 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The Twins only get 5 years from a player before they’re forced to trade them. Do you really want to use one of those 5 years “seeing how things shake out”?

Damn straight!  What if they "shake out" good?  How many of our Twins have been with us for five years?  None, except for dead weight.  That's a dream.  Specially in a small market team.  Unless we sign stupid contracts.  Keep contracts short and sweet, and we'll land our feet.

[Coach]

1 minute ago, LastOnePicked said:

The Sonny Gray trade worked well - we just didn't see it to fruition.

I just want a FO that I trust to exploit the market when opportunities arise.

All due respect, that year, I wish we would have retained Sonny.

[nicksaviking]

I don't think Diaw and Tait have all that much value. Maybe a third piece in a big trade, but not a headliner.

But for what it's worth, I like Diaw and think he'll be a decent MLB player. He does seem a lot like Jeffers and Garver, in that they continued to improve and advance throughout the minors yet still while largely flying under the radar.

[DJL44]

6 minutes ago, Coach said:

What if they "shake out" good? 

Then they will dominate the minors and force the issue on their own.

[DJL44]

7 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

The Sonny Gray trade worked well - we just didn't see it to fruition.

I just want a FO that I trust to exploit the market when opportunities arise.

Adding Sonny Gray improved the team from 73 wins to 78 wins. It took another year to pay off. 

[MapleGroveTwinsFan]

30 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The Twins only get 5 years from a player before they’re forced to trade them. Do you really want to use one of those 5 years “seeing how things shake out”?

I am not saying this because I think Lackey should be brought up right away (he will still be 21 until July 7th next year) 

But the saying you only have them for 5 years, is kind of a defeatist attitude, because nothing is stopping the team the extending them (lots of teams do that), and generally is only a good idea to do with guys that are brought up on the younger side, (there are older guys that it can be done with as well, but generally teams don't do that, maybe has to do with the player knowing they will likely only get one big pay day and it is best to get that around 30 and not 33 (Prime example is Pablo debuted at 22 and Ryan debuted at 25, both will be free agents at age 31, Pablo will have made 80 million and Ryan around 22)  

[MapleGroveTwinsFan]

21 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Adding Sonny Gray improved the team from 73 wins to 78 wins. It took another year to pay off. 

Likely had something to do with Bundy and Archer starting a third of the games(54) for the Twins, No?

[DJL44]

2 minutes ago, MapleGroveTwinsFan said:

Likely had something to do with Bundy and Archer starting a third of the games(54) for the Twins, No?

That’s the problem. Adding one star player to this roster isn’t enough. This team needs to continually trade old and expensive for younger, more talented and cheaper. That has made the Brewers and Rays perennial contenders.

[Eris]

I think it is far too early to declare that the Twins have an excess of catching. Being a MLB catcher is one of the toughest positions. 

[DJL44]

10 minutes ago, MapleGroveTwinsFan said:

I am not saying this because I think Lackey should be brought up right away (he will still be 21 until July 7th next year) 

But the saying you only have them for 5 years, is kind of a defeatist attitude, because nothing is stopping the team the extending them (lots of teams do that), and generally is only a good idea to do with guys that are brought up on the younger side, (there are older guys that it can be done with as well, but generally teams don't do that, maybe has to do with the player knowing they will likely only get one big pay day and it is best to get that around 30 and not 33 (Prime example is Pablo debuted at 22 and Ryan debuted at 25, both will be free agents at age 31, Pablo will have made 80 million and Ryan around 22)  

The economics of MLB ensure that it will always make sense for large market teams to max out payroll. The Twins can’t afford to pay players retail prices.

[MapleGroveTwinsFan]

2 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

That’s the problem. Adding one star player to this roster isn’t enough. This team needs to continually trade old and expensive for younger, more talented and cheaper. That has made the Brewers and Rays perennial contenders.

💯in agreement with you, (They also cycle pretty quickly though guys they see aren't a long term fixture to the team, which the Twins haven't done with anybody, they just keep crossing their fingers they will get better)

[HarmonK03]

2 hours ago, PuckettPond said:

We need more quality catching depth not less as Bryan Harper was our last quality catcher.

Yes he was better than Hall of Famer, Joe Mauer.

[HarmonK03]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

The Twins only get 5 years from a player before they’re forced to trade them. Do you really want to use one of those 5 years “seeing how things shake out”?

I thought free agency was after 6 years, can't assume everybody will traded.

[MapleGroveTwinsFan]

4 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The economics of MLB ensure that it will always make sense for large market teams to max out payroll. The Twins can’t afford to pay players retail prices.

💯in agreement again, That is why only having guys that are ready for the majors at 24, 25, 26 hurt the twins even more (offensive/defensive players, Starting pitchers are a little different, because teams are likely to trade for a pitchers in his mid/late 20's with a year or more of control). Which of course they Twins haven't traded (Ryan and Ober for example) 

When you have young guys (23 or younger, 22 or younger even better) they can extend them at less that market rates (like the Twins did with Kepler, Sano, Polanco), 

IMO they should try offering Keashall an extension this year, and Culpepper and maybe Jenkins next year, and of course Lackey if he forces his way up. 

[DJL44]

1 minute ago, HarmonK03 said:

I thought free agency was after 6 years, can't assume everybody will traded.

If he’s a stud they will get a lot more trading him after year 5 than they will keeping him and giving him the QO. I suppose they could keep making mistakes repeatedly to ensure 75-80 win teams every season.

[HarmonK03]

Just now, DJL44 said:

If he’s a stud they will get a lot more trading him after year 5 than they will keeping him and giving him the QO. I suppose they could keep making mistakes repeatedly to ensure 75-80 win teams every season.

Or maybe extend him, we don't know the labor environment that will be in place at that time.  But we can't keep trading everyone after 5 years.