Twins Could Trade Christian Vázquez This Winter Amid Finacial Uncertainty
As the Minnesota Twins look to shed payroll this off-season, one potential option they’re considering exploring would involve a change behind the plate with catcher Christian Vázquez.
Last winter, the front office inked Vázquez to a lucrative three-year, $30-million contract in free agency, landing one of the top backstops available. But things didn’t exactly go as planned during his inaugural campaign in the Twin Cities.
The 33-year-old catcher remained a reliable defender, mainly via his blocking and framing skills, though he struggled mightily as a hitter this past season. Across 102 games, he hit just six home runs, drove in 32 runs and slashed a measly .223/.280/.318 while being worth 1.0 fWAR.
Vázquez also earned a 65 wRC+, placing the struggling righty 35 percentage points below league average. On top of that, his plate discipline became a major concern, as evidenced by his 23.1% strikeout and 26.2% whiff rates – both of which were career highs.
Those woes ultimately saw teammate Ryan Jeffers – who enjoyed a breakout performance, posting career-bests across the board, including a 2.7 fWAR rating – assume the starting catching role midway through the season and figures to remain in that spot heading into 2024.
As such, the Twins could move on from Vázquez less than a year after acquiring him as a free agent, freeing up valuable financial space.
“They have aggressively tried to move certain players, and one of them has been Christian Vázquez, according to sources,” FanSided’s Robert Murray said in a recent appearance on the Foul Territory podcast.
Murray also named the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins as potential trade destinations for Vázquez, as both franchises would benefit from catching upgrades this winter. Others like the Chicago Cubs, White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox could be involved, as well.
The native of Puerto Rico spent the first eight seasons of his major league career in Boston, appearing in 698 games and capturing his first of two World Series rings in 2018. He won his second four years later following a trade to the Houston Astros during the 2022 campaign.
Vázquez has two years and $20 million remaining on his contract, which Minnesota may need to retain a portion of to help facilitate a trade. Given this year’s undesirable class of free-agent catchers, however, that should provide management with leverage in trade discussions.
While he hasn’t been an above-average hitter since 2020, when he registered a 114 wRC+ in 47 games during the shortened schedule, his services would be valuable for a team seeking to improve its catching defence next season.
Trading Vázquez would reduce the Twins’ projected 2024 Competitive Balance Tax payroll to roughly $136.5 million, providing them with additional breathing room for upgrades. Part of it, though, will likely need to be spent on an inexpensive veteran catcher to back up Jeffers.
That would help bridge the gap to youngster Jair Camargo, who was added to the organization’s 40-man roster earlier this off-season following an impressive 2023 showing. He could make his MLB debut as early as next season.
Due to the uncertainty of their television contract, the Twins may need to shed additional contracts beyond Vázquez’s this winter, including Jorge Polanco ($10.5 million in 2024, 2025 club option), Max Kepler ($10 million in ‘24) and Kyle Farmer’s ($6.6 million in ‘24).
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Andy Witchger. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.