Minor League Baseball

Minnesota Twins Release Former Top Prospect After Disappointing Showing in Triple-A

Diego Cartaya was once the crown jewel of the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system, but the Minnesota Twins have cut bait with the catcher following his struggles with the St. Paul Saints.
Sam Connon|
Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Diego Cartaya (76) looks on during spring training at Camelback Ranch.
Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Diego Cartaya (76) looks on during spring training at Camelback Ranch. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Minnesota TwinsLos Angeles Dodgers

The Minnesota Twins released catcher Diego Cartaya on Wednesday, per the organization's minor league transaction log.

Cartaya, who joined the Twins via a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in January, appeared in 20 games for Triple-A St. Paul. The 23-year-old hit just .085 with a .353 OPS, striking out in 40 of his 59 at-bats with the Saints.

The Twins claimed catcher Jhonny Pereda off waivers from the Athletics on Tuesday, making Cartaya expendable.

Cartaya's release marked the end of a failed experiment for the Twins, who took a flier on the Venezuelan backstop after the Dodgers deciding they were moving on this past offseason. Entering 2023, Cartaya was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in Los Angeles' farm system and the No. 14 prospect in baseball.

Between 2021 and 2022, Cartaya totaled 32 home runs, 28 doubles, 103 RBIs and 81 walks in 126 games of Single-A and High-A action. He hit .265 with a .923 OPS across his age-19 and age-20 campaigns.

Cartaya failed to match that production in 2023, 2024 or 2025, resulting in his dismissal into free agency.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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