In the ninth inning of Friday night’s 4-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vázquez was hit by a pitch on his right arm, causing him to grimace while walking up the first base line as assistant trainer Masa Abe and manager Rocco Baldelli checked on him. Vázquez remained in the game and caught Jhoan Duran‘s save. The 34-year-old narrowly avoided serious injury. However, watching him nearly leave Friday night’s contest raised a serious question regarding Minnesota’s depth: who is the club’s third catching option?

Earlier this season, the answer was Triple-A backstop Jair Camargo. However, the 25-year-old will be sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this month. Emergency catcher Mickey Gasper would have been a viable option in a pinch, too. Unfortunately, he was recently placed on the 7-day IL with bilateral plantar fasciitis, similarly sidelining the 29-year-old for what figures to be an extended period. The organization’s Triple-A catching depth has been spread thin, resulting in recent catching opportunities for prospects Noah Cardenas and Patrick Winkel. 

Since Gasper was placed on the IL on June 23, Cardenas has been rewarded two starts behind the plate, compared to Winkel’s one. Fellow young catcher Diego Cartaya will factor into the Triple-A catching mix, too. Yet, given his recent placement on the development list and inability to hit Triple-A pitching (58.5% strikeout rate over 65 plate appearances), Cartaya is not a serious promotion candidate. Cardenas and Winkel are the two backstops likely to receive an opportunity if Jeffers or Vázquez were to get placed on the injured list. Interestingly, Cardenas might have the edge. 

Beginning his 2025 campaign at Double-A Wichita, Cardenas hit .257/.409/.416 with 26 hits, seven doubles, three home runs, and a 137 wRC+ over 127 plate appearances. The 25-year-old was promoted to Triple-A on June 10. Since joining St. Paul, the former eighth-round pick has hit .185/.267/.556, with five hits, one double, three home runs, and a 102 wRC+ over 30 plate appearances. Cardenas’s subpar batting average and on-base percentage are somewhat concerning. Yet, his ability to hit for power in the high minors has impressed, lending merit to the idea that he could produce offensively in the majors. 

Cardenas has demonstrated an ability to hit at an above-average rate since joining the organization in 2021. Interestingly, though, his calling card out of college was his glove, and his defense has remained superb throughout the high minors. The UCLA product is an above-average receiver who sports a strong arm. Plus defensive catchers who can hit are a rare archetype. Yet, there is reason to believe Cardenas could develop into one at the major-league level. If Jeffers or Vázquez were forced to miss time later this season, Cardenas would seemingly be the next backstop up. Also, with Vázquez set to depart from Minnesota after this season, there is reason to believe Cardenas could succeed the veteran as Jeffers’s backup. 

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