Why Minnesota Twins Might Not Extend Qualifying Offer to Ryan Jeffers

[Matthew Trueblood]

The MLB offseason is here, and teams have until 4 PM Central time on Monday to extend qualifying offers to eligible free agents. That's also when the exclusive negotiating window between players and their previous teams expires, opening free agency in full. For the Twins, that means that they need to decide whether to issue that offer to catcher Ryan Jeffers. If he were to accept it, he would receive $23.15 million on a one-year deal. If he declined, the Twins would receive a 2027 draft pick if and when he signs with another team. 

Jeffers, 29, batted .256/.353/.461 in his walk year, with 14 home runs, 46 walks and 66 strikeouts in 369 plate appearances. It was the second-best offensive season of his career, trailing only 2023, and most fans expect the Twins to make at least a nominal effort to retain him by extending the QO on the back of that strong performance.

That might well happen. However, there are a few things pushing against the simple logic of his good performance, as the team weighs its options with regard to what would be a major investment.

Jeffers's Doubtful Durability and the Twins' Payroll Utility

As the offseason begins, one still-unanswered question is how much the team is willing to back up owner Tom Pohlad's big talk about spending more on payroll than they have over the last two seasons. Based on their end-of-season press conference, the team wants fans to expect significant outlays and a boost to somewhere north of $135 million in spending in 2027. A pessimist might point out, though, that they have every reason to raise expectations that way in October and November. Many ticket sales for the following season (especially season-ticket and group sales, which are teams' major revenue drivers) happen during that early phase of the offseason, so setting high expectations can be helpful even if you're unable (or unwilling) to deliver on them.

Presumably, the team has at least some good-faith intention to spend this winter, but they also have plenty of money spoken for already, and that needs to inform their decisions this winter. Pablo López is due $21.5 million in 2027, and while there's optimism (at the moment) that he'll be ready for Opening Day, the reality of recent cases in which pitchers underwent second Tommy John surgeries is that most aren't back on the mound and up to speed until 16 or 17 months after their operation. Justin Steele had surgery in April 2025 and didn't pitch at all in the majors in 2026. Jordan Montgomery had it shortly before Steele and only made it back to the bigs the following August. López had his operation in February, so barring a significant setback, he should be on the mound before the end of June, but that's different than giving the team a full complement of front-of-the-rotation innings.

López's case is similar to that of Byron Buxton, who faces a long recovery from surgery on the labrum in his hip. The team hopes he'll be back for Opening Day; the smart money says he won't be. Buxton's base salary for 2027, as with the other years of his contract, is $15 million. The club is also sending $10 million to the Astros again next year, to defray the costs of the Carlos Correa contract they dumped at the 2025 trade deadline. That's nearly $50 million that the team will spend next year on players who either won't play for them or can't be counted upon for a full season's work. A good over/under for batters faced by López is 600. A good one for Buxton's plate appearances is 400. That's not much volume in return for what looks likely to be a third of their payroll.

Paying Jeffers another $23 million and change would risk exacerbating that problem. Though he did cobble together 465 plate appearances in 2024 and 464 in 2025, he's never been a durable, high-volume player. Over the last five seasons, there have been 79 player-seasons in which a catcher caught at least 800 innings for their team. Jeffers has never reached that milestone. It's possible that changes next year. Carson Kelly, for instance, had never gotten to 800 innings in a season before joining the Cubs two years ago, and caught more than 860 in each of the last two years, in his early 30s. It's never wise to bet on a catcher becoming suddenly more durable as they cross into their 30s.

Can the Twins afford to pay QO-level money for a player who is unlikely to qualify for the batting title? When he's on the field, Jeffers is generally good, but he's not a plus defensive catcher, and if were a semi-regular designated hitter, he wouldn't be an especially impressive one. It might be that the money they're already spending on players who can't stay on the field makes it impossible to justify doing more of the same.

The Twins' Approach to Keeping Catchers Fresh

Of course, one thing that held down Jeffers's playing time totals during his Twins tenure was outside his control. In the last two seasons of Rocco Baldelli's tenure, the team used the most careful alternating pattern of catcher starts in the history of the sport. Jeffers would start one day; Christian Vázquez would start the next. That worked nicely, too. It exposed the weakness of Vázquez's bat, but it also protected each backstop from overuse and reduced their risk of injury. Neither has otherwise ever been as healthy or as consistent as they were under that playing-time arrangement. That setup allowed Jeffers to get the playing time he did at DH, too. It was part of why the team spent a significant amount on their second catcher again last winter, replacing Vázquez with Victor Caratini. They believe in playing-time parity at catcher, as much as the roster allows, so they try to have a stronger-than-average second option at the position.

The natural extension of that mindset, though, is that you don't pay market rates for your first catcher, because other teams will price that player in a way very different from you. They're thinking of using them for 25 more games behind the plate than you are. They're planning on giving them at least 50 more plate appearances than you are. In this case, that means (simply) that paying $23 million for a first catcher is incompatible with the team's approach to the position.

That approach isn't set in stone. Derek Shelton, unlike Baldelli, is a former catcher, and he was much more willing to let his backstops play several days in a row in 2026. Then again, that got them into some trouble, in multiple ways, so the organization might try to nudge him back toward their preferred style in 2027.

One argument here would be to extend the QO, knowing other teams might see Jeffers as a more important and high-volume piece than the Twins do, and then let him walk away. The risk that Jeffers might accept the offer is not minimal, though. Even fellow Scott Boras client Nick Martinez accepted one for 2025. The Twins can't give a QO unless they're willing to actually pony up that money for Jeffers. Besides, the rest of the league might like to play Jeffers more, but they're unlikely to be keen on giving up a draft pick to do it.

Players with durability or role-size questions are exactly the types who often get stranded on the market if they have a QO attached to them. That's why similar hitters to Jeffers, like Trent Grisham and Gleyber Torres, each took the QO last fall. Kelly, the aforementioned comp to Jeffers as a late-blooming catcher, signed with the Cubs for just $11 million over two years, and had no draft compensation encumbrance. The market might dry up as soon as Jeffers is tagged with that offer, so again, the Twins have to anticipate that he might accept it, and plan their choice about whether to give it accordingly.

Losing Jeffers for nothing would hurt. It's why he was viewed as a trade candidate right up to the deadline in August, despite the Twins assuming a buying posture. However, the Twins can't extend the QO just because the alternative is painful. They have to view the offer as the right choice, weighing the upside and risks of each option. That might lead them to what would be a very unpopular choice. They can't worry about that. They have to make the right one.

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

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[rdehring]

Is Jackson still on the Saints roster and under Twins control in 2027?  If so, should they sign Jeffers to an extension or he stays via the QO, there is a real chance they trade Caratini.  Don't know what they could get or how much of his salary they would have to keep to get anything back.  But should they keep Jeffers and Caratini departs, their overall spending at catcher may not be all that much more than this past year.

[MeleMouth]

It isn't that complicated.

1. The Twins need a catcher. Availability of catchers is scarce.

2. If they think Jeffers would be an acceptable catcher and they don't see enough good options, they should give him a QO.

3. If they are interested in having Jeffers fill their catcher opening, money or overpaying should not matter - his career earnings are about $17 million, yet he's provided approximately $87 million of value to the Twins over his career. They don't need to win the balance of value every year with every player. Further, if they were interested in Jeffers and concerned about overpaying for 2027, they should have made him an offer in 2024 or 2025.

4. If they don't think Jeffers would be an acceptable catcher or they see enough good options, they should change the letters just a bit and give him a nice PR send-off. 

[Jeff K]

I don't think this decision is difficult.  Offer the QO.  If he takes it, it's one year and gets the Twins closer to their internal solutions; hopefully Lackey.  I would make no attempt to sign him to a multi year contract.  As many have pointed out, his defensive numbers are quite poor.  

[LastOnePicked]

I'm totally confused. The Twins cut payroll to well below league average for the last two seasons. They desperately need a better option than Caratini at C for one year as they try and make good on their foolish decision to keep Lopez and Ryan.

Simply put, they can afford the QO and they need Jeffers. And that's just the result if he accepts, which he has already strongly hinted he wouldn't. At the very least, they'd get a comp pick, which is a pittance compared to what they could have gotten if they'd made a wise trade last offseason, but it's better than nothing.

Not extended the QO to Jeffers would be a monumentally stupid move from a FO that has been accused of being monumentally stupid. Let's not find ways to excuse it or sugarcoat it, please.

[terrydactyls]

This is not advocating for or against the QO for Jeffers.  This is a clarification of the current salary situation.  In 2027, the Twins will pay Lopez $21.7M, pay Buxton $15M, and send $10M to Houston as part of the Correa trade.  That is exactly the same amount that the Twins spent in 2026.  If Pohlad is really interested in increasing payroll, these expenditures have zero impact on increasing the budget and should not be included in discussions about "increasing" the budget. 

[Andy MacPhail]

I'd say that I'm in the extend a QO camp. And that it'd be irresponsible not to. It's a gamble I'd take because I believe that Boras won't take it. 

"Of course, one thing that held down Jeffers's playing time totals during his Twins tenure was outside his control. In the last two seasons of Rocco Baldelli's tenure, the team used the most careful alternating pattern of catcher starts in the history of the sport."

Twins always looked to Jeffers as their primary catcher, but he never stepped up to do so. & even under the tandem situation, Jeffers petered out the 2nd half. It's has become uncommon for a catcher become  a primary catcher.

[MackMan]

17 minutes ago, rdehring said:

Is Jackson still on the Saints roster and under Twins control in 2027?  If so, should they sign Jeffers to an extension or he stays via the QO, there is a real chance they trade Caratini.  Don't know what they could get or how much of his salary they would have to keep to get anything back.  But should they keep Jeffers and Caratini departs, their overall spending at catcher may not be all that much more than this past year.

Caratini is not likely to be a trade candidate because he is still under contract for another season. The only way he gets traded is if the Twins are forced to eat 80+% of his contract at that point, which makes no sense because if we're paying his contract, let's have him on our team. If anything, Jackson stay in STP as the shuttle catcher and Caratini and Jeffers play the field with Jeffers getting 75-80% of the workload. 

The Twins need to view Jeffers as a short-term rental option until one of the younger guys is ready to step in. Then Jeffers becomes a few different things: Expendable, Veteran catching presence to help with gameplanning and spelling of the younger guys, or transitions to 1B/DH full time. Even if we only get 2027 out of the QO and let him walk for free at that point, I'd be okay because he is getting us to our higher upside prospects in Tait, Tinney, and Lackey. 

[Steve Lein]

I'd give him the qualifying offer, and I don't think it should be that hard of a decision. I think it is more likely he declines it and tests the waters. It's not something the player gets to sit on over the entire offseason while fielding any other offers. He has to accept or decline within 10 days.

Then there isn't really anything negative about him accepting it, in my opinion. There are no bad 1-year contracts, as they say. 

[DataNerd]

I think it would be a horrible decision not to extend it, I think Jeffers doesn't accept and I'm happier if he does than doesn't.  Guys of his caliber don't sign 1 year deals, so lots of people will compare how much he's worth to a guy getting the same amount on a 3/4 year deal.

[tony&rodney]

The unthinkable already happened when the Twins failed to trade Jeffers in July. We don't know if any team actually made an offer or if Tom Pohlad refused to trade him; it's an unknown.

The QO number is just over $23M. Jeffers has been a good hitting player for the Twins. In 6 years plus his time from his initial season in 2020, Jeffers has appeared as a catcher in just over 500 games. We can reasonably expect that Jeffers might catch 100 games next season, which is 25% more than he did last season and more (the 100 number) than he ever has in his career. If the Twins were to float a payroll of near $175M, which Gleeman would love, I could see the offer. Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense at all and I highly doubt the Twins are considering that scenario.

The more important factor to consider is the importance of the Twins prioritising defense from their catchers. The most obvious benefit will be for the pitching staff. Jeffers is not a good glove or arm. There will be glove first catchers available and I would suggest that the road to winning baseball starts with the pitcher-catcher combo. 

In sum, no the Twins should not be considering an offer to Jeffers. It is time to move on. Defense matters.

[jmlease1]

They should extend the QO and if the thing that holds them back is a real fear he might accept and they'd have to pay him $23M, then we have a much bigger problem ahead of us.

Look, it wouldn't be ideal to devote $34M to catcher next season, but it's one year and doesn't ruin you going forward and Jeffers will almost certainly hold up his end of the bargain. There are very limited good options for improving the lineup at 1B, which where we probably need the help the most, so again...would it really be that bad? No, unless Tommy P is lying about the payroll going up and planning on investing. Which he might be: it's more than fair to not trust anything a Pohlad says, and only watch what they actually do. If they're afraid to extend the QO, to me it's a sign that they're lying about investing.

But the reality is, Jeffers is highly unlikely to accept the QO: there will be multi-year deals available to him for at least twice that total value, and if he takes the QO and gets hurt again, those will fall off as he'll be older and now "injury prone". Real possibility he could be looking at 4 years and $70M from a team like the Yankees, and even a worst case scenario would bring him 3 years and $45. Hell, if I'm the Twins, I'd offer him 3 for $45 in a heartbeat, even with Lackey, Tait, and Tinney in the minors.

Offer the QO. Make sure he doesn't walk for nothing. It'll be fine. And if you're too scared to take that chance, resign now because you don't have the stomach for this game.

[bean5302]

From Spotrac, Jeffers projected contract is 3yrs $40MM .

From some site I've never heard about Ogilvie, it's 2yrs $19MM

The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts 2yrs $15.5MM

It's interesting to see the statistical analysis their engine provides rather than Twins fans perceptions of Jeffers. Basically, non-Twins fans suggest Jeffers should instantly gobble up a QO and the Twins would be on the hook for the $10-15MM overpay.

[tony&rodney]

Put yourself in Ryan Jeffers' shoes. He can sign for 3/$40M (best case) or QO of $23M (guaranteed) with a club he already knows and plan on an injury free successful season in 2027 after which he goes back on the market under a new CBA. Worst case (extremely unlikely) Jeffes gets 2/$20M. QO plus worst case still beats what he can expect on the market. We shall see soon enough. This is all just cold morning meaningless speculation on our parts and nobody should get upset about the comments in any direction. 

Put yourself in Zoll's shoes or whomever makes the call. You are going to sign a catcher who fits best at DH for $23M when you already have another guy (Caratini) on the books for $10M (includes buyout)? That would mean more than $80M for Lopez, Buxton, Correa, and catchers. At that point I need to spend around an additional $80M+ to fill out a fair roster. Tom? Can you guarantee that payroll?

The beauty of it all is that we will find out.

It is interesting, for me, to read contrasting opinions on this. What I want to read is responses that defend a signing/QO, a minimal nod towards the importance of defense for the catching position or a statement suggesting that defense is vastly overrated. It doesn't add anything to just put  thumb down without an explanation of rationale.

 

[Matthew Trueblood]

26 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

From Spotrac, Jeffers projected contract is 3yrs $40MM .

From some site I've never heard about Ogilvie, it's 2yrs $19MM

The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts 2yrs $15.5MM

It's interesting to see the statistical analysis their engine provides rather than Twins fans perceptions of Jeffers. Basically, non-Twins fans suggest Jeffers should instantly gobble up a QO and the Twins would be on the hook for the $10-15MM overpay.

Boy, that Bowden estimate is extra-strength crazy. That dude has no IDEA what's going on anymore. Incredible. 

But broadly, this is so helpful; thank you. I think the outside view is important here. Jeffers really isn't a premium commodity, league-wide. That makes giving him the QO more of a risk than people on here tend to think, IMO.

[Mike Sixel]

Bowden is worth actively ignoring. Let's see what fangraphs salary estimate is in a few weeks. Between them and the fans, it's usually pretty close. 

[Cris E]

So the argument is what,  three guys would be making $60m and that's bad?  Here's the counter to that: only a handful of guys from the rest of the roster are making more than $2m. 

But Jeffers made $6.7 last year so this is really about the incremental $16m. We can clear most of it by moving a couple guys without roles and the rest can come from Tom P's viagra fund. If he wants to pose as a big man in front of the mirror every morning he's going to have to write some checks. Lewis Larnach and Ober make $18m and of all of them only maybe Larnach should be kept: we need a DH so maybe you keep him for a while instead of Bell. If we have Jeffers we can dump Caratini on someone who really needs a catcher and free even more money.  Then you find some guy who can play the short side of a DH platoon and hit some lefties and you're golden.  If Buxton needs days off he can have a couple, and if Jeffers needs to rest he can play 1B like Caratini. 

Maybe if Jeffers takes the QO you then offer him a contract with a second or third year where the total money gets guaranteed and they can smooth it out a little.  But mostly you raise the payroll to $140m like an adult with a huge pile of cash coming in from shared revenue every year. 

[Nashvilletwin]

If the Twins don’t at least make a QO to Jeffers, then they are bigger idiots than  many of us have thought.

Wasn’t the QO the saving aspect of not trading him?  Isn’t “We’ll keep him through the rest of the year because we will at least get a top drafty pick for his QO” the bs we all were fed at the deadline?

Now we might not only have given up a good return trade asset (Eyason from the Orioles for example), but also a draft pick?  Holy cow.

If there is to be no QO, then ONLY reason for not trading Jeffers at the deadline was to increase the chances of re-signing him.  The rationale of “going for it” is complete hogwash only to be held on to by the most delusional fools, especially with no QO.

But to not re-sign him AND give up the draft pick would be incredibly stupid - or just keeping with the Twins MO. 

 

[Twins GFP]

35 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

From Spotrac, Jeffers projected contract is 3yrs $40MM .

From some site I've never heard about Ogilvie, it's 2yrs $19MM

The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts 2yrs $15.5MM

It's interesting to see the statistical analysis their engine provides rather than Twins fans perceptions of Jeffers. Basically, non-Twins fans suggest Jeffers should instantly gobble up a QO and the Twins would be on the hook for the $10-15MM overpay.

When was the last time Jim Bowden said anything that was accurate or relevant? 2/$15? Seriously?

Even if you are under the premise that the QO would be a massive overpay, it would be a one-year commitment to a player much better than the alternatives. 

[LastOnePicked]

3 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

But to not re-sign him AND give up the draft pick would be incredibly stupid - or just keeping with the Twins MO. 

Agreed. It boggles my mind that we're even entertaining this as a serious possibility. No other franchise in MLB would think this way. Hopefully this is just Matthew's speculation and not some legitimate rumor from the FO rippling outwards.

[jmlease1]

41 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

From Spotrac, Jeffers projected contract is 3yrs $40MM .

From some site I've never heard about Ogilvie, it's 2yrs $19MM

The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts 2yrs $15.5MM

It's interesting to see the statistical analysis their engine provides rather than Twins fans perceptions of Jeffers. Basically, non-Twins fans suggest Jeffers should instantly gobble up a QO and the Twins would be on the hook for the $10-15MM overpay.

If these numbers are anywhere near correct, I'll eat my hat. If you look at Jeffers last 4 seasons, in his worst year he was still worth $10M+; in his best he was worth closer to $30M. Even if you believe that catchers inevitably decline in their 30's, he's still almost certainly going to be worth $15M AAV over the next 3 seasons.

If Jeffers market is really this crap then the Twins should be offering him 3 at $40M right now and locking him up!

But Bowden is a well-known fool, so...

He's easily the best catcher available in a weak market with several teams with real need at the position. These numbers are literally crazy-pants.

[Cris E]

3 minutes ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

Boy, that Bowden estimate is extra-strength crazy. That dude has no IDEA what's going on anymore. Incredible. 

But broadly, this is so helpful; thank you. I think the outside view is important here. Jeffers really isn't a premium commodity, league-wide. That makes giving him the QO more of a risk than people on here tend to think, IMO.

Your point in the article about reducing playing time to keep guys fresh is why these are so low.  Those guys don't know anything specific about any team, just what the algorithm spits out.  

But even if you see Jeffers as a 90 game catcher and want to ding him for it there's still the problem that he can hit better than any other option this winter. That's a huge deal when you consider that just playing him more often or letting him DH would extract more value for a team.  

[The Great Hambino]

Just now, jmlease1 said:

If these numbers are anywhere near correct, I'll eat my hat. If you look at Jeffers last 4 seasons, in his worst year he was still worth $10M+; in his best he was worth closer to $30M. Even if you believe that catchers inevitably decline in their 30's, he's still almost certainly going to be worth $15M AAV over the next 3 seasons.

If Jeffers market is really this crap then the Twins should be offering him 3 at $40M right now and locking him up!

But Bowden is a well-known fool, so...

He's easily the best catcher available in a weak market with several teams with real need at the position. These numbers are literally crazy-pants.

So you're saying Jeffers doesn't have essentially the same market value as Victor Caratini a year ago?

 

[farmerguychris]

53 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

From Spotrac, Jeffers projected contract is 3yrs $40MM .

From some site I've never heard about Ogilvie, it's 2yrs $19MM

The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicts 2yrs $15.5MM

It's interesting to see the statistical analysis their engine provides rather than Twins fans perceptions of Jeffers. Basically, non-Twins fans suggest Jeffers should instantly gobble up a QO and the Twins would be on the hook for the $10-15MM overpay.

You're right - his projections are all over the place!  I was full speed ahead on offering him the QA until I saw the Athletic's projection, not I'm not so sure...  I want him on the Twins for at least 1 more year - would probably be ok with 2 for Jeffers and Lackey to be our pair in 2028.  But now, knowing how much the QA is, and knowing what projection systems are saying - I hope we can find a way to make it work.  Caratini as our lead catcher is not a great solution.

[jmlease1]

9 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

So you're saying Jeffers doesn't have essentially the same market value as Victor Caratini a year ago?

 

LOL. Call me crazy...

[MackMan]

Here is a look at our catcher thru their age 29 season. As is evident, Jeffers is the far superior offensive force. Yes, Caratini may have been slightly better behind the plate, but Jeffers is serviceable. Honestly, I'd be okay with a 1-3 more years of what Jeffers can bring us, as long as his bat doesn't start to regress. By that point he'll have been pushed out from behind the plate by younger, more talented players, but if he can keep his bat, he'll have a spot on the team. You don't get catchers that have a decent offensive profile in the game. They're definitely a defense first position. I mean according to Baseball Reference, Jeffers has performed at an All-Star level for these past 6 seasons, whereas Caratini was a liability for his team. 

 

Edited 22 hours ago by MackMan
Boxes weren't even. OCD thing

[Woof Bronzer]

13 minutes ago, Twins GFP said:

Even if you are under the premise that the QO would be a massive overpay, it would be a one-year commitment to a player much better than the alternatives. 

Agreed.  If they want to pretend to compete again, fine, sign him for 1 year, it's just money.  But from 2028 on the Twins have got to start relying on their deep prospect pool. 

Watching Contreras in the Series was a master class on how important defense is to the catcher position.  He saved so many runs with his blocking, he threw out runners, he used challenges brilliantly (was always right on calls that flipped the count in big at bats).  And just the way he managed the pitchers.  Calming them down, well timed mound visits.  So much impact on the game and not all of it shows up in the box score.  The Twins have got to get more defense out of the catcher position long-term.  

[tony&rodney]

What I am reading in the comments is that Jeffers must be signed or given a QO (he would take it) or the Twins are out of it. 

This position is in stark contrast to Cleveland rostering Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges or the Los Angeles Dollars turning to Ben Rortvedt when Will Smith went down. 

Jeffers is more of a DH than a catcher but a team can put him behind the plate similar to Garver when he was a Twin. Is Jeffers a better DH than Josh Bell? There are many things to think about here.

The Twins made definite moves to improve their defense last year. Catcher is the most important position of the eight guys if we separate out the pitcher. Will the Twins punt defense at that most important defensive position that has a direct affect on the pitching staff? It is a topic to at least consider.

I have no idea which way the Twins will go. As a Twins fan I cheer either way and just hope for the best. It is very clear where the vast majority side on this issue. I know where I stand. I had dozens of occasions to use the better hitter as my catcher but filled in the card with the stronger defender, using the hitter when possible to PH or DH. Of course, these guys were not getting paid so that changes the calculus. It would be a surprise to me if the Twins decided to pull back on their ideas to improve their club defensively. As always, we shall see what happens in time.

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

Boy, that Bowden estimate is extra-strength crazy. That dude has no IDEA what's going on anymore. Incredible. 

But broadly, this is so helpful; thank you. I think the outside view is important here. Jeffers really isn't a premium commodity, league-wide. That makes giving him the QO more of a risk than people on here tend to think, IMO.

Given the outside view, do you still think the Twins should give Jeffers a qualifying offer? If so, why? If not, why not?

A connected issue is the payroll. Where do you see the payroll? If it is a penny less than $150M, I cannot see how the team gets to a .500 record if they have $30M+ spent on catchers.

[Riverbrian]

I love Jeffers. He's one of us. 

With that said. If we offer the QO... You have to prepared that me might take it. 

If he takes it. It will drain the majority of funds available to improve this team. Jeffers becomes our primary investment. 

I love Jeffers... He's one of us but if we have 23 million to spend. I'd rather spend that money on Bauers and I really really don't want to be 30 million invested in the catcher position alone.