Chicago White Sox Named Potential Landing Spot for Minnesota Twins Star
· Yahoo Sports
Despite refusing to move their biggest stars this past offseason, the Minnesota Twins are just 31–39 through 70 games, sitting 6.5 games back of first place in the American League Central division.
The conversation around Minnesota’s decision to keep players like Byron Buxton, Pablo López and Joe Ryan was a significant one heading into the season. Coming off a year in which they won just 70 games, the Twins did not project to be much better this season, especially after selling at last year’s trade deadline. That has proven to be true, as Minnesota has nearly an identical winning percentage to last year's .440 mark and, by all accounts, is heading toward another sale at this year’s deadline.
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While López will obviously not be moved, as he is out for the season due to injury, and Buxton will also likely stay put due to his no-trade clause, it seems anybody else could potentially be available. And this includes slugging catcher Ryan Jeffers.
On the injured list since mid-May, Jeffers has not appeared in a game in nearly a month. That said, he was putting up career numbers prior to his injury, hitting .295 with a .949 OPS. The now 29-year-old catcher had slugged seven home runs in his first 37 games, putting him just two off the nine homers he hit last season in 119 games.
The catching market is always an interesting one, as productive offensive players at that position are rare. Jeffers being a potential fit for the New York Yankees was covered here at TwinsRoundtable last month, and while they still seem to be the most realistic landing spot, Bleacher Report named the Chicago White Sox as another potential Jeffers suitor.
Chicago has been arguably the biggest surprise in baseball this season, currently leading the American League Central. If Chicago’s front office truly believes in this group, swinging a deal for a player like Jeffers could be a significant boost for a young team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
It was just a couple of seasons ago in 2024 when the White Sox set the modern-day record with 121 losses. Their 102 losses last season marked their third straight 100-loss year, but the tide has significantly turned in 2026.
While interdivision trades can be more challenging, as teams on both sides are usually reluctant to help the other better themselves in both the immediate and long term, this could be a situation that makes sense for both Chicago and Minnesota.