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Ryan Jeffers came just a few feet short of another dramatic, game-changing home run in the ninth inning on Monday, driving a Kenley Jansen pitch 411 feet to center where it fell into Max Clark's glove at the warning track. Just a little deeper, or a little more toward the left pole, and Jeffers would've had a go-ahead two-run homer.
Despite coming up just a little short on this one, it's been a sensational run for Jeffers of late. Monday marked his eighth consecutive start behind the plate — usage that is basically unprecedented for a Twins catcher in the modern era. He's been red-hot with four home runs and 11 RBIs over that stretch. In the waning weeks of a wayward season, he's firming up his case as Most Valuable Player for the 2026 Twins.
It's pretty difficult to see an argument otherwise. Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton were front-runners for much of the season, but they rank last and second-to-last on the team in fWAR during a second half in which the team has fallen out of contention. That seems to all but dismantle their cases. From there the best candidates are Taj Bradley, Brooks Lee, Kody Clemens, Luke Keaschall ...
I don't think any can hold a candle to what Jeffers has done, even accounting for the extensive time he missed due to injury. Despite being sidelined for nearly two full months by a fractured hamate, Jeffers leads all Twins position players in fWAR, and ranks third among MLB catchers. He has been a regular fixture in the second, third and fourth lineup spots, out-hitting the average player at his position by nearly 200 points of OPS.
And now, he's on the doorstep of free agency. Which is great news for him but less so for the Twins. As one of the better catchers to hit the market in years, coming in off a career season and under 30, Jeffers is in line for a massive payday. That should hopefully remove any sense of drama and uncertainty from the biggest looming decision for the front office: to extend a qualifying offer or not.
It's the only chance to recoup any value for Jeffers after holding him at the trade deadline. By offering Jeffers a one-year contract worth roughly $23 million, the Twins stand to get back what equates to a second-round draft pick. Probably less value than they'd have gotten for trading him, but real value nonetheless.
The "downside" of extending a QO is the possibility that Jeffers accepts, but at this point it doesn't even feel like an overpay. Per FanGraphs he's been worth almost exactly that amount ($22.6M) this year in 80 games. Bringing back your reigning best player on a short-term deal at that rate should be viewed as a favorable outcome, so long as Tom Pohlad and the Twins are serious about their stated intentions to raise payroll and spend at a more credible level.
I's most likely a moot point. I would say Jeffers accepting is extremely unlikely to happen. He has long desired the security of a long-term contract and now he'll be able pursue it on the open market with his stock riding high. Odds are he'll end up getting multiple years at an annual salary not far below $23 million, although the attachment of a QO (which requires the signing team to part with a compensatory pick) could temper his market somewhat.
In the event that he lands elsewhere, the Twins will be glad to get back a relatively high draft pick that can infuse their system with talent. But it won't do much in the short term to offset such an enormous loss for a team with eyes on truly contending in 2027. The longest-tenured Twin aside from Buxton, Jeffers not only leads the team in fWAR this year but ranks second among Twins position players since 2023. He's been a crucial mainstay for this club, and he's going to leave a giant hole.
Finding some way to fill it will be the biggest order of business this offseason after the QO decision, which takes place right away. (The deadline to offer is five days after the World Series, and the player has 10 days to decide from there.) In the expected event that Jeffers turns it down, then the front office should be prepared to invest that earmarked $23 million into upgrades elsewhere.
And in the unexpected event that the mere possibility of being forced to commit this money leaves the Twins too gun-shy to actually extend the QO to Jeffers ... well, any and all trust or goodwill generated by Tom Pohlad's big talk will evaporate in an instant.
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