Orioles trade Alex Jackson to Twins for Payton Eeles

The Orioles had a contract decision to make on catcher Alex Jackson. They did it this morning.

It’s passed along to the Minnesota Twins.

Jackson was traded today for minor league infielder Payton Eeles, reducing the number of players on the 40-man roster to 39.

Eeles, who turned 26 earlier this month, signed with the Twins as an undrafted free agent after playing at Coastal Carolina – where he was teammates with Orioles 2025 first-round draft pick Caden Bodine – and in the independent American Association in 2023.

Over 210 minor league games, Eeles has batted .285/.410/.417 with 28 doubles, 10 triples, 16 home runs and 94 RBIs and has stolen 68 bases in 86 attempts. He’s also walked 120 times and struck out 141.

Eeles appeared in 86 games this year with Triple-A St. Paul and posted a .379 on-base percentage.

The defensive versatility makes Eeles a utility candidate. He’s played second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions.

Jackson turns 30 on Christmas, and the trade reduces to 12 the number of arbitration-eligible players on the club. MLB Trade Rumors estimated his salary at $1.8 million, perhaps too steep for a third catcher.

The Orioles were in a catching bind due to injuries and acquired Jackson from the Yankees on July 6 for a player-to-be-named-later and cash. He batted .220 with eight doubles, five home runs and a .763 OPS. Thirteen of his 20 hits went for extra bases.

Jackson also threw out seven of 24 runners attempting to steal.

A third catcher likely is on the team’s shopping list with Samuel Basallo serving as a backup and also playing first base. Adley Rutschman can fill the designated hitter spot to provide some rest.

The Orioles must tender contracts by later today, with the list of eligible players down to Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Keegan Akin, Trevor Rogers, Tyler Wells, Dean Kremer, Félix Bautista, Kyle Bradish, Yennier Cano, Gunnar Henderson, Albert Suárez and Taylor Ward.

This story will be updated.