Minnesota Twins Swap Out Minor League Catchers

The Minnesota Twins should be expected to be busy as the Major League Baseball trade deadline looms. They sit four games below .500 at 48-52, and are already open for business on their impending free agents.

Teams are also going to come calling for some of the controllable assets. Any deal including Joe Ryan, Griffin Jax, or Jhoan Duran should generate a sizable haul.

One of the impending free agents, Christian Vazquez, could be had for a bucket of baseballs. Removing the remainder of his $10 million salary this season would be a plus. Someone still has to play the position though, and Minnesota just acquired more depth.

Jhonny Pereda takes over as catching depth for MN Twins

Most organizations are light on quality catchers due to the demands of the position. It’s also why it’s not unthinkable that Minnesota could find a taker for Christian Vazquez as a veteran backup. They need more depth on the 40-man though, and that’s where Jhonny Pereda comes in.

Pereda made his major league debut last season for the Miami Marlins. Across 20 games he was 9-for-39 with 10 strikeouts and no walks. In 17 games for the Athletics this season Pereda is 7-for-40 with two doubles and a 13/6 K/BB.

If the Twins were looking for an offensive clone of Christian Vazquez, he may be it. That’s not what is at play here though. Jair Camargo was the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Minnesota acquired Diego Cartaya prior to the season, but he has since been removed from the 40-man roster and has been terrible at Triple-A (20 games, 5-for-59, HR, 40/9 K/BB).

Related: MN Twins Reliever Trending at MLB Trade Deadline

Unfortunately for the MN Twins, Camargo is not an option either. He underwent Tommy John surgery last month and will be out into next season. Despite being DFA’d, that reality will likely keep him in the organization.

What’s next for the MN Twins catching situation?

What Pereda’s addition does is allow for Minnesota to try and move on from Vazquez, or swing a larger deal including Ryan Jeffers. In either case they’d need a backup catcher, and utilizing Mickey Gasper in that spot isn’t ideal either.

This is the definition of taking advantage of all your opportunities. @patrick_winkel didn't play in the first 13 games of the season despite being on the roster. He just hit his 7th homer in 87 AB's, an 8% HR clip. The catcher came in with an .818 OPS. Lead 5-3 going to the 4th pic.twitter.com/rmkwIt5i99

— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) July 9, 2025

Noah Cardenas has a .204/.291/.531 line in his first 17 Triple-A games, but he is a 25-year-old former 8th round pick. Patrick Winkel is another option, and is the same age taken in the 9th round of the same 2021 draft. He has just a .652 OPS in 78 games for St. Paul last year, but has hit .250/.294/.510 in 27 games this season.

Neither of the depth prospects are on the 40-man roster, but there is plenty of opportunity for the Minnesota Twins to do some maneuvering. With the likelihood that impending free agents are traded, there should be plenty of fresh faces getting a chance to prove themselves down the stretch for Rocco Baldelli.