Pitching is the Blue Jays’ top priority this winter, and Toronto has already made one notable move on that front with its acquisition of Chase Anderson from the Brewers. It remains to be seen whether the Jays will look to free agency or further trades to upgrade its staff, though in regards to the latter option, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi reports that Toronto’s “catchers have also been drawing interest from other clubs” in preliminary trade discussions.
Danny Jansen handled the bulk of the work behind the plate for the Jays last season, hitting only .207/.279/.360 over 384 plate appearances but displaying some excellent defensive prowess in his first full MLB campaign. Both StatCorner and Baseball Prospectus cited Jansen as one of the league’s best pitch-framers, with BP also highly praising Jansen’s blocking skills. The 24-year-old held his own at throwing out baserunners, stopped 19 of 61 stolen base attempts.
It was quite a performance for a player who was more touted for his offensive skill coming up through the farm system, and if Jansen can improve to even average production with the bat, he’ll be a very valuable catcher going forward. This could also make him an interesting trade chip, though since Jansen is controlled through the 2024 season, the Jays would certainly want a solid return for his services. It could ultimately make for a tough negotiation since a rival team could rightly argue that Jansen hasn’t yet shown much hitting skill at the big league level.
Ultimately, there’s probably more evidence that the Jays still see Jansen less as a trade chip and more as their catcher of the future, so that could make Reese McGuire more expendable. An oblique injury sent Luke Maile to the injured list in July and limited him to just three games for the remainder of the season, as McGuire went on a hot streak and more or less entered into a timeshare with Jansen down the stretch.
Selected 14th overall by the Pirates in the 2013 draft, McGuire was rather surprisingly traded to Toronto in a 2016 deadline deal, packaged with fellow prospect Harold Ramirez and veteran lefty Francisco Liriano for right-hander Drew Hutchison. The trade was mostly about unloading Liriano’s $18MM in remaining salary for the Bucs, leaving the Jays to potentially reap the benefits from a catcher who has hit very well (.297/.343/.539 with seven homers in 138 PA) in his brief Major League career. McGuire also has above-average blocking and framing grades — something of the opposite of Jansen, McGuire was considered more of a glove-first catcher during his time in the minors.
This leaves Maile looking like a potential non-tender candidate unless the Jays can find a trade partner. The veteran is projected to earn only $800K in arbitration this winter, though may no longer have a spot on Toronto’s roster if Jansen and McGuire are the new regular duo. Maile turns 29 in February, and hit a respectable .248/.333/.366 over 231 PA in 2018, though that solid season was sandwiched between two very poor years at the plate in 2017 and 2019.
The Blue Jays could also look to move younger catchers from within their farm system. Gabriel Moreno (#8), Alejandro Kirk (#12), and Riley Adams (#27) are all ranked within MLB Pipeline’s list of the top 30 Jays prospects. Adams is the most developed, with 81 games at Double-A last season, while Kirk reached the advanced A-ball level and Moreno spent all of 2019 at Single-A Lansing.
I wish my Pirates could take that trade back. I was pissed about that trade then and even more pissed now. Thanks NH for that trade lol
No
Think about the Archer deal for a moment
The trade at the time did not look good, but it doesn’t have a clear winner or loser. I’d even argue that the Pirates won the trade because of the money they were able to unload. Harold Ramirez never played a single MLB game for Toronto, and McGuire hasn’t really done much for Toronto yet.
Don’t forget, we flipped Liriano for Teoscar Hernandez. So we got a starting outfielder, potential starting catcher, in return for 11 innings of Drew Hutchison. And before we flipped Liriano to Houston, he gave us 50 innings of sub-3 ERA during our pennant run. But yes, Harold Ramirez was a bust. Can’t win ’em all.
Liriano came over and provided Toronto with 50 innings of 2.92 ERA ball and then won the wild card game and was flipped the next year for Hernandez. Toronto won that deal pretty easily.
Bob Nutting would beg to differ.
Jays won that deal, handily. Liriano pitched well in 2016, Ramirez wasn’t given a real chance (that’s on Atkins and the minor league coaches/scouts), and Reese will at least be a backup MLB catcher. Hutch is somewhere.
Shannon-Let’s all pile on NH again.
Are you really stupid enough to think that that trade was his idea?
Clueless.
If the Blue Jay’s are shopping McGuire, the Pirates should really consider trading back for him. He’s always been known for his defensive ability, and has, although in a small sample size, has done well batting against big league pitchers.
MLB- Not a bad idea but I am not sure that they should give up on Diaz just yet and McGuire was projected to be a good fielding backup catcher which is what they have now in Stallings.
I am impressed with his hitting this year but it does not seem like he can continue that pace.
If he has an option left and they can get him for something reasonable then they may want to seriously consider it.
Braves and Brewers have needs at catcher and some excess pitching
Braves dont have as much excess pitching as you think.
Yes they do. While they may not have a ton of number 1 or 2 options, they have a ton of 3-5 caliber starters.
Don’t need mediocre catching…. already have that
The Jays are going to have to be blown away by a trade offer to move either Jansen or McGuire. And if they’re going to listen why not try to use one of them in a package for a young #1 or #2 starter with Zuech or Murphy or someone else down the prospect board. Not sure what else it would take but I hope they don’t just swap out one of their young up and coming catchers for another Chase Anderson.
Why would they trade one of their young catchers for a Chase Anderson when they traded nothing for Chase Anderson?
You’re gonna split hairs? if you don’t get the point then just walk away slowly.
Sorry but his point was valid, your initial comment was pretty dumb and he called it out in a reasonable way.
The point was that I would prefer the Jays try to package their assets for a bigger piece in return. As opposed to a minor trade like the Chase Anderson trade. But you knew that.
Catchers who can’t hit aren’t going to get you a top of the rotation starter, sorry.
Reading comprehension can be tough I guess?
Hate to burst your bubble, Zeuch and Murphy have no value to anyone. Packaging them in a trade involving one of the catchers brings back nothing. Nice try. Might want to walk back the whole “reading comprehension” diatribe.
I specifically said I didnt know what it would take for that type of trade in the original post. Lol. Reading comprehension!!! 🙂
Oh, and dont forget Zeuch threw a no hitter in AAA this past season…his stock is rebounding and I think they will give him a long look in Spring Training.
You are finally correct; you don’t know what it would take. Because you know nothing.
I remember Kyle Drabek’s no-hitter in AA about 10 years ago too. Means nothing. Team confidence is so high on Zeuch that he’s not a factor in the starting rotation. Bullpen? Even that is a reach. As for Murphy he is closer to 30 than he is 20. Baseball comprehension – find it.
We’re essentially talking about McGuire, right? So ya, if he’s packaged for a quality pitcher then, yes.
But I also remember having two promising catchers in Arencibia and Yam Gomes. With D’Arnaud right behind them. We sure got that wrong.
At the time it was the right move. Trading Gomes hitting .204 and keeping Arencibia hitting .233 with 18 homers and 54 rbis. No brainer.
Rumor has it that Esmil Rogers isn’t busy right now.
Keep both of them, they are young and controllable. And it’s too early to be trading either of them if they’re not blown away by an offer. Keep both, have the depth behind the plate, and the catching prospects coming up.. you never know which one will end up being the absolute best one. Impatience can lead to your franchise catcher playing for a different team, all to make a trade to fill a need. Jays are in a solid position as of now. I don’t think nows the time to be pulling the trigger involving young kids in any type of deals.
McGuire has never really hit anywhere he has played so his hitting is likely unsustainable so if you can sell high on him you listen.
Sell high? I doubt they would get much. Teams are probably asking to see if they can get a deal. Jay’s should just keep them and see who becomes the starter. They have way too many needs to be filled by this one trade.
Teams don’t generally fish for deals on players who are over-performing/peaking.
McGuire has been awful against LHP. He has hit much better against RHP. If he is starting less than 50% of the games his exposure to LHP will be reduced at the MLB level.
If the Jays want to be trading anyone it should be Grichuk. Get his contract off the books. That 10-13 million can go to a much better player than Grichuk, who does nothing but run into a home run every now and then..
A lot of people still scratching their head about that contract…
If any club has a catcher teams want then trade for high. The days and dont wait. We all saw what happens to the r. Sox recently and rangers in the past. Nonsense of keeping catchers if the return is potentially greater.
Maile is a pilon and should have been cut years a go.
I say keep throwing Jansen and McGuire out there and see what happens.
Article is clickbait. None of the Jays MLB level catchers are going to be traded.
Your right. I’m sure the Jays would just listen.
When will the 20,0000th player in MLB history be called up!!??
We are getting close!
Wonder if the Jay’s would consider moving McGuire for a RP like Justin Anderson. Both are flawed but both are young, cheap for yrs, and still have potential to grow. Anderson has the stuff of a top reliever just needs to get the BB/9 down
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Would love if the Braves traded for McGuire & could somehow package Giles with him. I’m sure it would be too salty a price tag though as others have mentioned.
Be interesting if the Jays could package Janson and Gurriel and a decent prospect for a good starting pitcher with at least 3 years of control.
Gurriel will be next to untouchable for the jays. Most will disagree but Gurriel was/is the best hitter on the jays at the moment. Not trading him away
Maile was a non-tender candidate. He has to be the one traded.
Leave Reese and Danny alone. They are unproven, young catchers who can D up. Danny improved his hitting in the minors, Jays fans can be hopeful he can improve his hitting next year. If not, Reese plays more. Both can play at a 60/40 Jansen/McGuire split in 2020. For Jays fans who watched the team 30 years ago, this is Greg Myers and Pat Borders scenario all over again..
Pat Borders moustache should have a place on the Jays Level of Excellence.
Dangerous. That opens the door for Danny Cox, Cliff Johnson, Rick Leach and Dennis Lamp. Apologies to Jim Clancy.
The Indians have some spare rotation parts, and since Shaprio/Atkins were both formerly in that org they’re both familiar with their prospects. Could be a match on a low level deal. Something like Adam Plutko (out of options, probably not one of their 5 best starters) for Maile or Riley Adams.
That sounds about right for Plutko.