It was Carson McCusker that was optioned (following Sunday’s game) to make room for Buxton. Matt Wallner has been on the paternity list for a couple of days after he and his wife Sydnie welcomed their first child.

When the Twins activated Wallner on Tuesday, the roster move had multiple ripple effects that provide differing levels of intrigue.

Jhonny Pereda optioned by Minnesota Twins for Matt Wallner

The Minnesota Twins claimed Jhonny Pereda from the Athletics late last month. He took the 40-man spot from Jair Camargo and immediately became a depth catching option. Despite being promoted as a catcher in the wake of Christian Vazquez’s emergency surgery, he never got behind the plate.

We have made the following roster move: pic.twitter.com/SsIvmhNxgg

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 12, 2025

It’s not all that surprising the Minnesota Twins would prefer not to play Pereda. He has a 40 OPS+ in 37 big league games, and despite an .890 OPS in 33 Triple-A games this season, he’s just never been able to put it together beyond that.

The intriguing thing here is that the demotion of Pereda, with Vazquez on the injured list, makes Mickey Gasper the backup catcher. Ryan Jeffers has rotated with Christian Vazquez for the past three years because his defense holds him back. It’s unlikely that he’ll now catch every day, and Gasper leaves plenty to be desired on his own.

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Gasper was utilized in a utility role for the Twins earlier this year. Minnesota had him working on both second base and first base because his ability behind the dish was questionable at best. Now that’s where he’ll be needed most.

Mickey Gasper now big part of the Twins roster

For the vast majority of the 26 games Gasper has played with the Twins, he has been little more than an overlooked part of the roster. As the lone backup catcher, that all changes.

The Twins hoped a .918 Triple-A OPS would eventually translate to the big league level. That has yet to take hold, as he owns just a .137/.279/.157 slash line for Minnesota.

Mickey Gasper going coast to coast for the #ꓘsoftheDay pic.twitter.com/1SXeyxWgby

— Xan Barksdale (@xanbarksdale) August 11, 2025

With 44 games remaining, it’s unlikely that Vazquez makes it back to a clean bill of health. Gasper will need to do what he can to prop up his own value. This may be the one and only shot he has to carve out a major league career, and the Minnesota Twins have cleared the runway for him.

Related: Update Reveals New MN Twins Top 100 Prospect; Others Tumble Down List…

The Gasper selection doesn’t speak highly of expectations for Pereda, but the final month and a half is a proving ground for everyone.

While Vazquez has been a non-factor offensively, he continues to hold down the role on defense and is well-liked in the clubhouse. Unfortunately for Rocco Baldelli, Vazquez is now hurt and will be gone for a minimum of ten days.

For the first time in three seasons, Minnesota has the opportunity to start someone not named Vazquez or Ryan Jeffers behind the dish. Enter Jhonny Pereda.

Jhonny Pereda promoted by Minnesota Twins

Prior to Friday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals the Minnesota Twins made a roster move involving their veteran catcher. Jhonny Pereda is up to take his spot, and that comes after having been claimed just recently from the Athletics.

Christian Vázquez went on the 10-day IL with a shoulder infection. Jhonny Pereda called up.

When Pereda is in the lineup, it’ll be the first time in three seasons the Twins start a catcher who isn’t Ryan Jeffers or Vázquez. Pretty remarkable run.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) August 8, 2025

It’s unknown as to when or how Vazquez suffered the injury. It seems like an odd malady to suffer. He did play on Tuesday in Detroit against the Tigers.

Bobby Nightengale’s note on the Twins consistency behind the plate is truly remarkable. While Jair Camargo did play five games for the MN Twins last season, he never made a start at catcher.

As mentioned, there’s not much to make up for Vazquez offensively. He owns a .174/.251/.247 batting line in 61 games this season. His 40 OPS+ is a career worst. Of the 294 players with at least 190 plate appearances this season, Vazquez’s .498 OPS is 293rd.

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Unfortunately the expectations for Pereda shouldn’t be substantially higher. The 29-year-old has played in 37 major league games the past two seasons and owns a .203/.267/.228 slash line with an identical 40 OPS+. The sample size defensively is not substantial, but it’s likely that he’s a lesser defender than Vazquez as well.

Pereda has played 33 games at Triple-A this season and owns a .320/.408/.482 batting line. 27 of those games did come in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Last season with Triple-A Jacksonville in the Marlins system, Pereda hit .297/.405/.424. He doesn’t hit for much power, but has routinely controlled the strike zone.

Are the MN Twins out of catching options?

Minnesota’s catching depth is virtually non-existent in the upper-minors. Both Noah Cardenas or Patrick Winkel could be options if Vazquez needs to miss additional time and Pereda is a net-negative. Neither are on the 40-man roster however.

The Twins landed top 100 prospect Eduardo Tait in the Jhoan Duran trade with Philadelphia. Although he is an exciting catching prospect, he is just 18 years old and currently playing with High-A Cedar Rapids.

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Minnesota has gone 3-3 since the trade deadline and took a series from division-leading Detroit. They are 54-60 on the season.

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.

#MNTwins claimed C Jhonny Pereda off from the A's an optioned him to Triple-A. Jair Camargo has been DFA'd to make room on the 40-man roster.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 22, 2025

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.