stringer bell

After his DFA, Brujan was traded to the Mets for cash. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/twins-trade-vidal-brujan-to-mets.html

Adding Gray with the reported Rogers and Caratini signings means that two have to come off the 40-man roster. So far, they have cut position players exclusively since adding the minors leaguers to prevent Rule V claims. Could they move a pitcher at this point? I really don't see it TBH. On the position player side, guys without options are Kreidler, Outman, Clemens, Julien and Jackson. It would appear to me that one or both of the DFAs will come from that group. I don't know if whoever they DFA will clear, they haven't had much success getting guys through and then outrighting them.

Not a bad move at all, but it doesn't move the needle much. The bullpen is still a major problem. In checking Rogers out at BBRef, he is only a couple weeks short of ten years of service time, a mark that is surprisingly rare and significant. A statistical oddity--Rogers' ERA and FIP are identical at 3.34.

Nice article Nick. The Twins have several huge question marks and many of them can sink the season with a disappointing answer to the question. The plan, such as it is, revolves around strong starting pitching and an offense blending some acquired veteran pieces with homegrown talent that hasn't yet thrived. There is also hope for a prospect or two to break in like a star. The Twins have had decent success building bullpens with failed starters and low-priced free agent arms. There are eight guys with big league experience competing for five starting spots plus Raya and Prielipp, so they could add three or more from that group to the 'pen. Adding one big arm to move to the closer role or a couple of good relievers would change the picture quite a bit. I think a couple of trades need to be made. There are too many left handed hitting corner OF/DHs and somebody has to go. Trading and getting a proven infielder or a relief pitcher would correct some of the roster imbalance. Trading a starter (including Ryan or Lopez) could bring in both talent ready to contribute and prospects or maybe trading Jeffers could fill a soft spot in the roster plus add a prospect.

100% agree with Gleeman about position player roster construction. The Twins have a whole bunch of lefty hitting corner outfielders or DHs and real weak shortstop and center field backups. Clemens, Outman and Julien would seem to be fighting for one position and all three are out of options. The roster seems to be screaming for a trade. Larnach and Wallner would seem to be available and having both would seem to be redundant. I think trading Jeffers makes sense. Certainly going with Caratini and Jackson would be a downgrade from Jeffers, but Caratini can hit a bit and Jakckson looks like a good defensive catcher who might be satisfactory as a backup catcher. As far as the bullpen goes, the Twins need at least one free agent reliever and I would bet the longer they wait, the more likely it is that they sign an "old friend"--Danny Coulombe, Taylor Rogers, Erasmo Ramirez or Liam Hendriks,

Since 2023, the Twins have had one of two guys behind the plate well over 95% of the time. However, Vazquez left after 2025 and Jeffers will be gone by November 1, 2026. The position had only fringe prospects in-house as of July 15, but that has changed with the acquisition of several minor league catchers including one Top 100 prospect. Now add in a capable major league catcher in Caratini. The Twins have given a lot of limited resources for reshuffling and fortifying the catcher position. While @Riverbrian is as usual correct that catchers are overpaid for their production, I think their value is greater than the WAR produced since they are so involved with pitching as well as offense and defense. I think it is okay to pay that much for a capable or more than capable catching tandem. Beyond that, both Caratini and Jeffers might get playing time at first base and DH respectively, which would mean the $13.7M was spent on more than just the catching position.

Ryan Pressly announced his retirement. A good Rule V selection for the Twins and very good for the Astros. Congratulations on a fine career. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/ryan-pressly-announces-retirement.html

The Twins traded for two minor league catchers in August, a minor league catcher in the Rule V, claimed and then traded for Jackson and now have signed Caratini. Add the five guys named above and that is quite a revamp of the catching position in the organization.

Responding to @bunsen82, while Alex Jackson is cheap insurance, his time last year may have made him a candidate to be a major league backup catcher. I don't think that is nothing and that he should be frittered away on a DFA claim. Trading Jeffers for value and going with Caratini, Jackson and Pereda carries risk because each guy would be asked to step up a level while in their 30s, but many other teams have had worse catcher tandems in the 2020s. I do think catcher defense is a big deal and I like the idea of having a good defender as the backup catcher as opposed to a guy who might someday be a good hitter. That would define Jackson. The #3 guy should have options and major league experience. That is Pereda.

Pretty sure that it would be Caratini at first and Jeffers behind the plate. The other scenario is Jeffers at DH and Caratini catching. I can see both Jeffers and Caratini starting 110-130 games with neither playing more than 90 at catcher.

The signing of Victor Caratini has shaken up what was assumed the roles of the catchers will be in 2026. Prior to inking Caratini, Ryan Jeffers was thought to be promoted to #1 catcher where, if healthy, he would start behind the plate in excess of 100 games. Alex Jackson was thought to have been penciled in as Jeffers' backup with Jhonny Pereda the third catcher who would play in AAA but be available to play for the Twins in the event of injury. A brief thumbnail of each: Jeffers is starting his sixth full season with the Twins and has shared the catching duties since 2020 if healthy. Jeffers has been durable and productive for a catcher, with his best year being 2023. Jeffers isn't strong defensively, but seems to call a good game. Jeffers will turn 29 in June and be a free agent after the 2026 season. Jackson is a former first round draft choice who has played for five teams and accumulated over three years of service time with only 440 plate appearances. He turned 30 on Christmas Day and is regarded as a good defender with a good arm. His offense has been spotty even for a backup catcher, although he hit with some power at his last stop (Baltimore). Jackson has no minor league options and agreed to a $1.35M deal to avoid arbitration. Pereda will be 30 in April and has less than a year of service time while playing for three teams. He has minor league options remaining. In his "cup of coffee" with the Twins, Pareda looked to be an aggressive defender unafraid to throw behind runners although not necessarily accurate. As a hitter, he would also appear to be aggressive without good results. Add Caratini, a 32-year-old seven year veteran switch hitter who has never been a "regular" catcher but who has hit well the last two years and has a decent rep as a receiver, with the weakest part of his defensive game being his throwing. Caratini has played some first base as well and given the Twins' options there might get quite a bit of time there in 2026. Now the questions: Do the Twins turn around and trade Jeffers? Do the Twins still plan to use Jeffers as their #1 catcher or revert to alternating or even platooning Jeffers and Caratini? Will Caratini be part of the first base mix? Are the Twins willing to lose Jackson, who would appear to be the best defender of the four, by DFAing him before the start of the regular season? Is Pereda going to be DFA'd to make room for Caratini? Would the Twins spend large parts of the season with three catchers on the active roster? Is there any market for Jackson? I'll add a couple comments here as well. Until both Vazquez and Jeffers went down late in 2025, the Twins had seen phenomenal health and durability from their catchers. It really can't and shouldn't be counted on that two catchers will get all the innings in a season. I can't see Jackson moving back and forth between St. Paul and the Twins. Too many catchers get injured and if he would be DFA'd multiple times someone will claim him if he has any value at all. Jeffers has quite a bit of value and I could see him being moved, although right now not many teams are looking for a #1 catcher. I do think that if he stays with the Twins Jeffers will get full-time work as a catcher and likely a RH DH. I suspect Caratini gets quite a bit of time at first base, especially if Kody Clemens can't sustain his mini-breakthrough of 2025, Caratini also provides a floor for the 2027 catching corps. What path do you (TD faithful) think the Twins will take? Was this a good move? Please comment with your thoughts.

Three catchers--Jeffers, Caratini, Jackson. Four first baseman--Bell, Clemens, Wagaman, Caratini? Yea, but....you shouldn't count Caratini twice and Clemens can play a capable second base and corner outfield. In addition, Wagaman has options and somebody has to be the DH. I would hope that Bell is the DH more than half the time especially if the Twins have somebody that can hit decently at first base. There's almost a whole month until Spring Training start more than six weeks until Opening Day. I certainly think the Twins need to add bullpen arms and I hope they don't end up with a sub-,200 hitter as their primary utility infielder, but both shortcomings can be addressed before the games start counting. They have excess LH corner OFs and DHs and possibly a projectable starting pitching arm. More moves should be made.

If Jeffers was a free agent, he would get somewhere between 150% to double the $6.7 he got through the arbitration process. Caratini is worth about what he will get from the Twins, so Jeffers is a bargain and Caratini is fair market value. Because Jeffers at $6.7M is a bargain, the Twins should get decent return if he is in fact traded.

In a part-time role, Caratini has been a good hitter the past two years. Good enough for a catcher, sure, and actually better than Clemens or Larnach. I don't know if he can sustain that production in a full-time role, but if he can, he could be at least a semi-regular. His defense is pretty good, probably better than Jeffers. This move helps the Twins for 2026 and gives them something behind the plate in 2027. The roster is still not in a good place, with little proven relief pitching and far too many left handed hitting corner outfielders and DHs. More moves need to be made for sure, but adding a major league catcher helps the club. I don't think Caratini will make the Twins a playoff team or will be the reason they finish below .500. the younger guys need to come through.

With no options, Jackson really isn't the guy who can go back and forth freely to St. Paul. It seemed that the Twins were going to go with him as catcher #2, while Pereda would be a good fit as the #3 catcher who can move back and forth from AAA. I really don't like seeing three catchers on the roster, even if Caratini plays 50 games at first base. Expecting a catcher injury or two and having a guy like Pereda to fill that role makes sense, but carrying three catchers for the bulk of the season really hurts the bench while providing little benefit.

Trying to fit round pegs in round holes......Caratini can be both the second catcher and an occasional first baseman. Jeffers can DH against left handers most of the time and Bell can bounce between first base and DH. Bell's career splits are pretty neutral, but if he continues to flail vs. lefties, the Twins have another guy who can be in the lineup against lefties who doesn't have severe platoon splits. Wagaman is optionable and could be sent to St. Paul with first base covered by Bell, Caratini and Clemens. If the Twins find a way to DH Bell a lot against righties, either Martin or Larnach lose PAs. One utility infield spot still goes to a really bad hitter--Brujan, Kreidler or Arcia. Outman, Julien and maybe Clemens seem in competition for one spot until and unless Larnach is traded. Roden really doesn't fit unless he is the platoon left fielder, in which case Martin's role is diminished greatly. There's still a need for bullpen help and thinning of the LH corner OF and DH candidates. Adding a decent major league catcher who switch hits and can play first base is good, but the position player roster is still a mess.

Umm, with Jackson out of options, either they keep three catchers or lose a catcher. I’m guessing there’s a deal for Jeffers being done.

I do expect at least one reliever to be signed to a major league contract, but the Twins will be extremely short on proven arms in the bullpen and it could be a trainwreck. Falvey is stuck with little money to spend and major gaps to fill and has been since "right sizing" began. I don't know if he's handled the situation admirably or even successfully, but I do agree that it is a tough assignment and if money is to be "saved", the bullpen is a good place. Since the Arraez-Lopez trade, the Twins are trying to win by having their own talent develop and bringing in role players to augment their own talent. The failure really hasn't been the players brought in, but rather that their highly regarded talent has failed to become established solid big league players.

Two years and $12.8M, a decent payday for Willi. Good for him. I would expect he will put up good offensive numbers playing half of his games in Colorado.

Every team makes these kind of moves. No, they aren’t earth shattering, but the move added some infield depth. Back after losing Fitzgerald. They may DFA Brujan at some point to try to sneak him off the 40-man or they may give him the inside route to claim the utility infield spot on the roster. The Twins still need to do something after roster imbalance, but that doesn’t mean acquiring Brujan was wrong or a mistake.

So, apparently the Dodgers want to do what the Twins were trying to do.

Given what is going on in our country and especially in our state, I'd like to be positively distracted by things Minnesota Twins. Yes, we will go through the stages listed in the OP, but it would be nice for positive narratives to be accurate.

Castro has extreme versatility. Not many guys can adequately play six different positions. He had a breakthrough year defensively in 2023, but has gone backwards since. Maybe it was a happy accident in 2023, but he played his best left field and third base and was satisfactory in center and shortstop. He didn't play much second base and no right field in 2023. In 2024, Willi was a regular and played over 20 games at five different positions in the field, a rare feat, but he didn't improve. Maybe it was because he was asked to play too much center and shortstop or maybe he wasn't fully healthy or maybe his steps forward in 2023 were a bit of a fluke. Still, someone with his versatility, speed and switch hitting ability can be an asset for a lot of teams. I don't think he is a fit for the 2026 Twins.

Farmer's range makes Lee look average. I don't think that is a good thing.

Is Willi a viable shortstop alternative? I don’t think so. If he isn’t, it really isn’t a fit.