There was always going to be a significant amount of movement for the Minnesota Twins this offseason. After a 70-92 season, a level of turnover is to be expected. The fact that a significant portion of the roster was traded over the summer also put the wheels in motion.
Catcher remains one of the most intriguing spots in the organization as the role is hardly flush with answers. Ryan Jeffers is pencilled in as the starter, but may be a trade candidate this winter. Christian Vazquez is back on the open market as a free agent.
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Rather than wait to see what veteran option remains willing to take a cheap deal, Derek Falvey swung a trade for Alex Jackson.
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Alex Jackson gives MN Twins more catching depth
Outside of Jeffers, the only other catcher on the Minnesota Twins 40-man roster was Jhonny Pereda. Triple-A doesn’t have a ton of options, and star prospect Eduardo Tait is years away. That meant adding more talent made sense. Falvey found a way to get Alex Jackson without using any 40-man roster talent as well.
Payton Eeles went undrafted and signed with the Twins out of independent baseball. He made it to Triple-A St. Paul during his first affiliated season, and he had a .919 OPS with the Saints. Last year he struggled a bit batting just .253/.379/.321 across 86 Triple-A games. It’s likely he’s a Quad-A type that can play all over.
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Jackson was the 6th overall pick by the Seattle Mariners back in 2014. In 2015 and 2016, he ranked as a top 100 prospect. Last year with the Orioles was his best season in the big leagues. Across 36 games he batted .220/.290/.473 with five home runs. He has an .840 OPS in 313 Triple-A games.
2026 will be Jackson’s seventh big league season. He has played for five different organizations, and the offensive ability has never carried him. However, his defensive metrics are solid, especially when it comes to framing and controlling the running game.
Arbitration eligible for the first time, Jackson will make more than the league minimum. MLB Trade Rumors has him tabbed for a $1.8 million salary in 2026. That’s substantially less than Minnesota wasted on Christian Vazquez, and the defensive impact may be similar.
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With Jackson in the fold, it’s likely that Jeffers sees more time as a traditional starter with the new addition serving as his backup. It will be interesting to see how new manager Derek Shelton handles the position.
DaShawn Keirsey DFA’d by MN Twins
Earlier this week the Minnesota Twins added six prospects to their 40-man roster. They also acquired Eric Orze to take a bullpen spot. That filled the 40-man roster. Needing space to add Jackson, the club designated DaShawn Keirsey Jr. for assignment.
A fourth round pick in 2018, Keirsey Jr. made his major league debut in 2024. Last season he played 74 games for Minnesota but hit just .107/.138/.179. He is a standout defender in the outfield, and has base stealing ability. Offensively though, he was a bust.
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Keirsey Jr. will be 29 next season and his .811 OPS at Triple-A hasn’t shown up in the majors. It’s possible he goes unclaimed and simply returns to the Twins. This is not his first time being DFA’d.
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