Why the Blue Jays Should Keep Danny Jansen at the Deadline

The Toronto Blue Jays have been a major disappointment this season. A team projected to contend towards the top of the AL East has freefallen to the division’s basement, sporting a lowly 45-54 record. While this mark pales in comparison to the Chicago White Sox (27-75) or the Oakland Athletics (40-62), the Blue Jays have seemingly found ways to continue losing games whether it is the bullpen blowing things wide open, the bats struggling to find consistency, or a mix of everything in between.

With this disappointment comes a pivot in thinking, as the Blue Jays are now entering ‘seller mode’ with the trade deadline appearing on the horizon. The Jays have some players on expiring contracts who should net some return in Yusei Kikuchi, Justin Turner, Yimi García, Trevor Richards, and Kevin Kiermaier.

Joining that list is Danny Jansen, the Blue Jays backstop and now the longest-tenured player on the roster since Tim Mayza’s release. A staple on the squad since his call-up back in 2018, Jansen heads into free agency this winter amidst a weak catching group with other names including James McCann, Travis d’Arnaud, Austin Hedges, and Martin Maldonado.

Danny Jansen Will Be Best Available Catcher This Winter

One of the only backstops under the age of 30 this offseason to hit the open market, it’s easy to see why he could easily become the Blue Jays’ most tradeable asset this winter.

A twitchy bat from the right side, Jansen’s calling card has been his defensive metrics over the years – most notably his blocking ability which sits in the 98th percentile at a +10 mark this season. He has formed an excellent rapport with the Jays’ starting staff, a majority of whom have been offseason signings compared to internal development, and all have had to work with Jansen at the big league level versus side-by-side development through the farm system.

These are just a few reasons why the Blue Jays will be fielding calls on the backstop over the next week and a half but looking at the bigger picture, there is more of an argument to be made to keep Jansen for the long haul compared to trading him away this year.

Extend or Trade?

For starters, Jansen is a fan favourite amongst a Jays fanbase that doesn’t have much to cheer for. He’s also an excellent locker room cohort. The Jays organization has put a lot of value over the years into building a clubhouse that meshes well and it was one of the driving points behind Charlie Montoyo’s firing back in 2022 when he lost the clubhouse.

At the plate, Jansen can be a real driving force when he finds a groove and has an easy swing that can drive the ball a long way. He has double-digit home runs dating back to 2019 (excluding the COVID-shortened campaign) and sports a career .734 OPS, with the Illinois product sporting an excellent chase rate value at 19.7 (94th percentile) this season with 24 walks on the year.

Behind the plate, Jansen has a history of solid work that has earned the trust of the pitching staff with his leadership and excellent blocking ability. He owns a .993 fielding percentage and has allowed just three passed balls dating back to 2021. The 29-year-old has become the Jays’ go-to catcher over Alejandro Kirk and has gained the support of the starting staff.

“The biggest thing you want in a catcher is a bulldog back there, and that’s Danny through and through,” said Jays’ pitcher Kevin Gausman. “He wants to be in the trenches with you. He’s a grimy guy. He’s fine getting dirty.”

Weak Farm System Offers No Internal Replacement

Outside of Kirk, the Blue Jays are lacking in the catcher department after trading Gabriel Moreno during the 2022-2023 offseason. A group of journeymen suit up in Triple-A in Brian Serven, Max McDowell, and Payton Henry while Phil Clarke is the only homegrown catcher in the higher ranks. After a solid streak of developing catchers, the Jays have currently hit a bit of a snag in that department – further fueled by the recent retirement of Zach Britton in Double-A.

The Jays have seen what an extended workload does to Kirk when Jansen landed on the injured list and a tandem of the two has always worked better for the club compared to running with Kirk as the everyday guy.

To play devil’s advocate, the biggest knock on Jansen’s big league tenure has been his health – as the backstop has hit the IL seven times over his career.

A stint of groin, oblique, and hamstring strains has seen him hit the shelf on multiple occasions since his rookie season while bad luck has followed him as well, with multiple wrist and hand-related injuries from being hit in the batter’s box has seen him miss time on the diamond, injuries that are more out of his control than anything.

His bat can also find cool spells at times, staying around the .200-.240 area year after year, but he gains some ground from his walk rate – sporting a career 9.4% mark (0.9% over the MLB average). He is also currently sporting a .132/.231/.198 slash line through his last 104 plate appearances, struggling through June and July at the plate that has tanked his offensive metrics after a strong start to the season after returning from his wrist injury.

The Blue Jays Should Extend Jansen

While the Jays should be clear sellers this trade deadline, if there is one player the club should keep for the long haul, it is Danny Jansen.

A hit with the fanbase and the pitching staff, Jansen will be a hot commodity this winter and history is not on the side of the players when it comes to extension talks with the Blue Jays. Only José Berríos has found a long-term deal while the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette remain on schedule for free agency following next season.

With a weak free agent class behind the plate and no internal prospect ready to take over for the Wisconsin-raised Jansen should he depart, it makes more sense to keep him for the foreseeable future versus trading him away even if the bat does show some inconsistencies at times.