Jeffers happy to tune out noise surrounding him as Deadline nears

CHICAGO -- Ryan Jeffers laughed before he answered.

"I was wondering when you guys were going to hit me with that," he said.

He knew the question was coming. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. Just look up Jeffers’ name on the internet and it’s the first thing that will come up.

With the Trade Deadline less than three weeks away, Jeffers finds himself at the center of one of the Twins' most complicated decisions. He's one of the club's longest-tenured players, a pending free agent and, when healthy, one of the most productive offensive catchers in the American League.

He also knows none of this is in his hands.

"There's nothing you can do about it," Jeffers said. "You just go out there and continue to play baseball. If I wanted to be a GM, I'd stop playing. So I'll keep on playing and figure out the future career path after I'm done."

For now, that's exactly what he's doing.

Jeffers continued his strong return from a fractured left hamate bone Friday night, launching a three-run homer in the Twins' 5-2 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The blast was his eighth of the season and continued an encouraging stretch after he missed nearly two months.

"Overall, he was on pace to be an All-Star this year," manager Derek Shelton said. "With everything he's done and for him to just pick back up where he left off, it's been really encouraging to see."

Jeffers is currently hitting .291 with a .952 OPS, numbers that only complicate Minnesota's calculus.

The Twins entered Friday back in the thick of the American League postseason race after winning eight of their previous nine series. Holding onto Jeffers gives them one of their best hitters for a push toward October.

Moving him, however, could bring back value before he reaches free agency this winter.

Jeffers understands the conversation. He just refuses to let it consume him.

"That's the reality," Jeffers said. "There's the possibility of moving. We're used to moving three times a year, so moving another time isn't all that different. But right now, you can't get over your skis and start thinking about something that I'm not in control of.

"I think that's something this game has for everybody in this locker room. This game makes you stay in the present. At least for the guys who handle the mental side of this game, you have to stay in the present. If you start thinking too far down the line, you're going to hurt what's going on right now."

That mindset has become especially important as speculation surrounding the Twins continues to build.

Minnesota climbed back to .500 with Friday's win, improving to 49-49 after spending much of the first half digging out of an early hole. The club remains firmly in the AL Wild Card race, creating a fascinating balancing act for the front office as Aug. 3 approaches.

Inside the clubhouse, though, Jeffers said the focus hasn't changed.

"Am I thinking about it on a daily basis? Absolutely not," he said. "But I am aware of it."

If anything, Jeffers believes the Twins' chemistry makes the upcoming decisions even more delicate.

The clubhouse has repeatedly emphasized its culture throughout the season, crediting the group's closeness for helping fuel its turnaround after falling eight games below .500 earlier this year.

"It's been said a million times in this clubhouse this year," Jeffers said. "The group of guys and the vibes that we have are phenomenal. I think we all feed off each other's energy."

That's why, in Jeffers' mind, adding talent isn't simply about finding the best player available.

"I think you walk a tightrope there when you're adding personalities, whether we're adding or whatever we end up doing at the Deadline," Jeffers said. "You walk a fine line of, 'Hey, we've got a group of guys in here that really gets along and really likes each other.'

"You have to be thoughtful about what type of personalities you put in this clubhouse, because the vibes are so good right now."

Whether Jeffers is still part of that clubhouse three weeks from now remains one of the organization's biggest unanswered questions.

Until someone else makes that decision, he'll keep doing the only job he believes belongs to him.