The trade deadline is approaching and the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox could both be looking for a catcher.
The Tampa Bay Rays may also be in the market for catching help, but one of the best potential targets just got taken off the board, it seems. Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins is going to be a free agent after the season, and he would have been a great help to any team in need of a catcher.
However, the Twins have pulled to .500, and MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that they will be buyers, not sellers, at the deadline. They entered Wednesday trailing by half a game in the wild card race.
"Twins say they are looking to improve the team after walkoff win gets them to .500, 1/2 game back in the AL wild card race," Heyman wrote on Tuesday night. "So they’re buyers. Which means Joe Ryan and Ryan Jeffers aren’t going anywhere."
Jeffers spent some time on the injured list this year, but is having a career year at the plate. He is hitting .294 with a .928 OPS. He has nine homers, matching his total in 119 games last year.
The Yankees, Red Sox and other catcher-needy teams will have to pivot and look at other options. Hunter Goodman could be a name to watch, as the Colorado Rockies look like clear sellers. Goodman is not a rental and will cost much more than Jeffers, but he is also a better hitter.