The Orioles traded catcher Alex Jackson to the Minnesota Twins on Friday in exchange for infield prospect Payton Eeles.
Jackson, 29, was eligible for salary arbitration this winter and had little room to contribute on an Orioles team with two catchers — Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo — signed to long-term contracts.
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A career .153 hitter in 160 MLB games with the Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins, Jackson was projected to earn $1.8 million in 2026 by MLB Trade Rumors.
Eeles was not on the Twins’ 40-man roster, so the Orioles now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
An undrafted utility player out of Coastal Carolina, Eeles has experience at second base and shortstop as well as left field. In his first exposure to Triple-A pitching in 2024, Eeles compiled a .919 OPS and stole 20 bases.
In 2025, Eeles missed the first two months of the season while recovering from knee surgery. When he returned, he slashed .253/.379/.321 (.701 OPS) in 86 games with the St. Paul Saints, the Twins’ top farm team.
More to come on this story.