Identifying the teams most likely to pursue Blue Jays’ catchers via trade
Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk and Gabriel Moreno were Blue Jays' best players in 2022. They combined to lead MLB in batting average, on-base percentage and home runs. Moreno worked out in the infield and outfield late this past season to build his versatility.
The Blue Jays are considering trading their catchers. Some teams are interested in Moreno, Jansen and Kirk. The Blue Jay GM Ross Atkins is not willing to force a trade. The least likely trade matches are the teams with the most interest in Blue Jansen.
The Orioles have no chance of signing a franchise catcher.
The Blue Jays are most likely to pursue established catchers via trade. The New York Yankees, Kansas City, Chicago White Sox, Houston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Los Angeles Dodgers, Will Smith and Oakland are also interested.
The Red Sox and Rays are interested in making a trade for a catcher.
Nick Fortes, Jacob Stallings and Francisco Alvarez are promising young catchers. Keibert Ruiz and Tyler Stephenson are also catching prospects. Logan O'Hoppe and Max Stassi are catching prospect in Anaheim. Joey Bart's first 408 plate appearances of big-league career have been underwhelming.
The teams most likely to pursue Blue Jays’ catchers via trade are the following:
Willson Contreras is hitting free agency. Yan Gomes and P.J. Higgins are the current catching tandem. Ian Happ is appealing, but he's one year away from free-agency.
The Rockies need to upgrade their back-up catcher position. The Blue Jays need a replacement for Elias Diaz and Brian Serven. Arizona could use a catcher to pair with Carson Kelly.
Tigers are interested in signing a second catcher. Eric Haase is versatile and can play all three catcher positions.
Ryan Jeffers has replaced Gary Sanchez as the Twins' primary catcher. Derek Falvey says the club will look for a new catcher either through free agency or trade. Max Kepler is under contract for two more seasons.
The Padres are interested in signing a catcher. Trent Grisham is a good fit for San Diego.
Cleveland is interested in signing Blue Jays' catchers. Guardians are interested too. Chris Antonetti is open to trading players. Guardians president is excited about Bo Naylor's development. He also likes Luke Maile and Austin Hedges.
The Pirates are interested in trading for Blue Jays centre fielder Bryan Reynolds. The Pirates have a catching tandem of Jason Delay and Tyler Heineman. They are rebuilding and would be willing to give up six years of Moreno for three years with Reynolds, but it's a delicate balance.
Brewers have Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson as their catching options. Owner Mark Attanasio hints that this could be a busy winter for the Brewers. Eric Lauer, Freddy Peralta and Aaron Ashby are appealing pitchers.
Yadier Molina retired and the Cardinals are looking for a replacement. They are considering trades and free agency as they look for the replacement, but they are open to the possibility of trading for players from their big-league roster. Blue Jays are interested in Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbar. Jansen is also a possibility. The Cardinals have enough outfielders to consider parting with someone like Notbar and Carlson. The Blue Jay's are the favourites to sign them. If the odds were to be set, they would start with St. Louis.
