Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers in unique position after Mitch Garver, Ben Rortvedt traded

FORT MYERS, FLA. – The three lockers were all together in the Twins' spring clubhouse, a catchers' corner where Mitch Garver, Ben Rortvedt and Ryan Jeffers would prepare for working behind the plate each morning. So when Jeffers reported to camp Sunday, the day after Garver was dealt to Texas, he could feel a survivors' bond with Rortvedt, unspoken but real.

"It was a good vibe, like, 'It's just us now. We work really well together, so let's go get it done,'" Jeffers said.

One day later, that vibe was gone — because so was Rortvedt.

"It's been a little crazy, kind of a whirlwind," Jeffers said Monday. "You have a couple of guys you've worked with, gotten to know, for a couple of years. And all of a sudden, they're gone."

Gone to New York, in Rortvedt's case, one of three Twins dealt by Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey for infielder Gio Urshela and Jeffers' new partner, catcher Gary Sanchez. Jeffers said he doesn't know what to expect now, but he does take pride in the fact that he's still a Twin.

"I had a good talk with Derek a little bit, [with him] just saying, 'Hey, we have trust in you.' So that feels good. Really good," Jeffers said. "But no matter what he says, I've got to go out and perform. That matters a lot more."

The Twins aren't certain yet how playing time will be divvied up between Jeffers, a second-year defensive specialist, and Sanchez, a five-year veteran known for his home run power.

"We believe in Ryan, and we believe in his long-term future. And that doesn't change at all," Falvey said. "Whether that's 50-50, 60-40, 65-35 [split] — it's rare that it's 90-10 these days, over the course of 162 games. So [both] are going to catch a lot."

With that in mind, Jeffers is focused on learning about the new pitchers on the Twins' staff. He even studied Sonny Gray's repertoire on Sunday, before the new righthander arrived at camp. He's also eager to test some changes he made to his swing over the winter, prompted by his .199 batting average as a rookie.

"I feel phenomenal. I've made some changes that have put me in a really good spot this year," Jeffers said. "I've never felt better."