Twins acquire catcher Alex Jackson Acquired from Orioles for minor league infielder Peyton EllisAccording to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Minnesota has designated outfielder, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic Dashawn Kelsey Jr. Make room for Jackson on the 40-man roster. The team also avoided arbitration with the right-hander Justin Topa The one-year contract, according to Gleeman.
Jackson, who turns 30 next month, is a potential non-tender candidate ahead of tonight’s deadline. MLBTR writer Matt Swartz projects Jackson will make $1.8MM in 2206 as the Orioles’ third catcher Adley Rutschmann and Samuel Barsaro. Considering Barsalo is expected to spend next season at DH and first base, Baltimore could certainly consider building a three-catcher roster in 2026, maverick handley Still remains on the 40-man roster as a potential third-string receiver behind the team’s primary tandem. That made Jackson somewhat expendable, with Baltimore now deciding to send him to Minnesota to bolster their upper-level infield depth in the minor leagues.
As for the Twins, adding Jackson gives the team a backup catcher Ryan Jeffersreplacing free agent veterans Christian Vazquez In a catch-up tandem at the club. Jackson was drafted sixth overall in 2014 but didn’t make much of a splash at the major league level despite his draft pedigree. In six seasons in the majors, he’s bounced between Atlanta, Miami, Milwaukee, Tampa and Baltimore and now appears poised to start his seventh season with Minnesota next year.
Jackson is generally considered an adequate defender behind the plate, but his offensive numbers often leave a lot to be desired. He enters the 2025 season with a career slash line of just .132/.224/.232 (29 wRC+), which means he’s 71% below league average in 340 at-bats at the major league level. This year, he hit 100 PA in 37 games with the Orioles, which allowed him to show some offensive energy, hitting a respectable .220/.290/.473 (111 wRC+) during that time.
Unfortunately, Jackson is unlikely to continue hitting at the 30-homer rate he did this season in Baltimore, and his 37.0% strikeout rate compared to just a 5.0% walk rate leaves a lot to be desired in terms of discipline. Jackson’s advanced metrics suggest that his underlying performance this year is still below average, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take a big step back with the bat by 2026. Still, he should provide a cost-effective insurance option for the Twins since there isn’t a lot of behind-the-plate quality on the market. Jackson joins Jeffers, Mickey Gasparand Johnny Pereda Serves as a receiving option on the 40-man roster.
The Twins gave up Ellis in exchange for Jackson. The infielder, who celebrated his 26th birthday earlier this week, is just 5-foot-5 and batted just .253 with a .321 slugging percentage in 86 games in Triple-A last year. What Eeles lacks in size and power potential, however, he makes up for with a deep understanding of the strike zone and basepath velocity. Last year, he walked 12.4 percent of his time in Triple-A while striking out. In just 378 games, he hit a solid 17.2 percent on the basepaths, suggesting he could be a threat to steal 30 to 40 bases over the course of the season.
Eales has primarily played shortstop and second base during his career, but also made guest appearances at third base and all three outfield positions. The versatile speedster is something the Orioles have long valued, as evidenced by 408 plate appearances Jorge Mateo He spent the past five seasons with the Orioles before becoming a free agent earlier this month. Considering Ayers’ success at the Triple-A level and Mateo’s departure, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take on a major league backup role in Baltimore at some point next season.
Back in Minnesota, the Twins are parting ways with Kelsey to make room for Jackson on the 40-man roster. Kelsey, 28, made his major league debut late in the 2024 season but played in just six games, going 2-for-14 with one home run and one hit. His audition with the majors took a little longer this year, although he was used primarily as a defensive reliever and pinch-runner in 74 games in the majors. In 88 at-bats this year, Keirsey is hitting just .107/.138/.179 while striking out 37.5% of the time. He did go 10-for-12 on base, but his lack with the bat made him expendable to a Twins club that already had plenty of outfield talent on its roster and in the upper levels of the minors.
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