Alex Jackson Clears Waivers Again After Bizarre Twins Roster Run

Alex Jackson has become one of the strangest roster stories of the Minnesota Twins' 2026 season. For the third time this year, Jackson has cleared waivers after being designated for assignment. Once again, all 29 other MLB clubs passed on the veteran catcher, allowing Minnesota to retain him without giving up a roster spot.

The latest move came as the Twins needed room for former first round pick Aaron Sabato. Jackson was designated for assignment, bringing another chapter to an increasingly bizarre stretch of roster decisions involving a player who has spent much of the season barely playing.

The story began last November when Minnesota acquired Jackson from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Triple-A infielder Payton Eeles. The Twins also committed $1.35 million to Jackson through arbitration, a move that made sense at the time. Ryan Jeffers was expected to be the starting catcher, and Jackson appeared positioned to serve as his backup.

Then the Twins signed Victor Caratini to a two-year, $14 million contract. Suddenly, Jackson was an expensive third catcher and organizational depth. The Twins designated him for assignment after spring training, but no team wanted to take on his contract. He cleared waivers and remained with the organization at Triple-A.

That decision eventually proved useful. Jeffers fractured his left hamate bone in May and missed nearly two months. Caratini moved into the starting role, while Jackson returned to Minnesota to handle the backup duties. He provided needed depth until Jeffers returned in July.

The Twins could have moved on from Jackson at that point. Instead, they kept him around through the trade deadline in case Jeffers was dealt. Jeffers stayed. Jackson remained. And he barely played.

After the deadline, Jackson spent another two weeks on the active roster while receiving only one at-bat. The Twins finally designated him for assignment again in August, and once again, every other team passed.

Jackson returned to Triple-A, but only for 48 hours. When Austin Martin landed on the injured list, the Twins brought Jackson back. He then spent another five weeks on the roster, collecting just three more at-bats. Now, with the season nearly over, Minnesota has designated him for assignment for a third time.

The numbers tell the story. Jackson spent 60 games on the active roster after Jeffers returned, but received only 15 at-bats. After the trade deadline, he appeared in 41 games and received just four at-bats.

That makes the Twins' continued commitment to Jackson difficult to understand unless they view him as their preferred backup catcher for 2027. If that's the plan, the question becomes obvious: Why keep him around for more than two months if the organization wasn't willing to actually use him?

The Twins have repeatedly protected Jackson's roster spot this season. They just haven't given him many opportunities to justify it.