Report: Toronto Blue Jays sign former Minnesota Twins catcher
Photo credit: William Parmeter - https://twinsdaily.com
The Toronto Blue Jays have added catching depth by signing Patrick Winkel to a minor-league contract, as noted in the team’s transaction log on Tuesday.
Patrick Winkel, who was released by the Minnesota Twins organization in late March.
The Toronto Blue Jays have already assigned Winkel to Double-A New Hampshire.
He’ll help bolster the Fisher Cats’ roster, which is currently missing Geovanny Planchart due to injury.
At 26 years old, the left-handed-hitting catcher joins Aaron Parker and Alex Stone as part of New Hampshire’s catching group.
Winkel will have to work his way back up to Triple-A level again
This marks his first appearance at the Double-A level in three years, following back-to-back seasons at Triple-A within Minnesota’s system.
Over those two seasons, Winkel struggled to produce at the plate.
Across 125 games, he posted a .224/.279/.371 slash line with 14 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a 64 wRC+ (with 100 considered league average).
He also struck out at a high rate, close to one-third of his plate appearances—while drawing walks less than seven percent of the time.
Earlier in his career, Winkel was viewed as a fringe top-30 prospect in the Twins organization, known more for his offensive potential than his defensive polish behind the plate.
However, he has yet to fully deliver on that projection.
His strongest showing came in 2023 at the Double-A level, when he recorded 10 home runs, 48 RBIs, and a .266/.362/.424 slash line, good for a 106 wRC+.
That season also featured solid plate discipline, including a 12.6 percent walk rate and a 24.2 percent strikeout rate.
Since then, though, he hasn’t been able to replicate that success.
Injuries may have played a role, as a right wrist tendon issue sidelined him for nearly a month in June of last season.
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4 HOURS AGO|21 ANSWERS Report: Toronto Blue Jays sign former Minnesota Twins catcher Was signing free agent catcher Patrick Winkel a good depth signing for the Toronto Blue Jays? | ||