‘Hard to see him leave’: Jansen traded to Boston in emotional Deadline deal

TORONTO -- The past couple of days have brought trade news just as the coming days will, but Danny Jansen’s departure feels so much different, so far removed from the business of baseball.

Jansen, the longest-tenured member of the Blue Jays and in his 12th year with the organization, was dealt to the Red Sox on Saturday for infielders Cutter Coffey and Eddinson Paulino, and RHP Gilberto Batista.

Walking into the clubhouse he’s called home, Jansen saw his name on the TV screens. Soon after, Chris Bassitt brought in Jansen’s son, Miles, so they could be together. Jansen and his family walked out to the field to take some pictures and capture his last moments in a Blue Jays uniform.

TRADE DETAILS:
Red Sox get: C Danny Jansen
Blue Jays get: INF Cutter Coffey, INF Eddinson Paulino, & RHP Gilberto Batista

When the Blue Jays drafted Jansen in the 16th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, he was still a teenager trying to figure out how to play the game of baseball. He landed in Dunedin, Fla., at the run-down old complex still years from being renovated, and met his first manager in pro ball, John Schneider. Standing here together in the big leagues now, the two have been through it all together.

“He’s like my third kid. He’s like my third son,” Schneider said.

Jansen will have an opportunity to chase the postseason in Boston now, playing out the final months of the 2024 season before he hits free agency for the first time. The past two days have brought the Blue Jays’ first trades of the deadline season, first Yimi García and then Nate Pearson. Everyone in that clubhouse understands how these days work on the baseball calendar, but the connection many of them have with Jansen goes beyond the game they play each night.

“I’ve known him since he was 17 years old. This is tough,” Schneider said, the emotions hanging from his voice. “You get that it’s part of the business, but I met him as a kid in the Gulf Coast League. I was throwing a football with him when he couldn’t reach second base. It’s hard to see him leave.”

Jansen has grown into a starting catcher in the big leagues, and while his numbers in 2024 don’t quite capture it -- with a .212 average and .671 OPS -- he has the talent to be one of the best power-hitting catchers in baseball. Injuries have gotten in the way over the years, so many of them with a dose of bad luck from tipped balls, but his pull-power approach should fit right in at Fenway Park, where he can put a few dents in the Green Monster.

Jansen has been preparing for this, trying to take everything in along the way.

“I grew up here. I became a man here and raised a family,” Jansen said. “They’ve been here a lot. There’s a whole lot of emotions, but I’m excited to go to an atmosphere I’ve played in as a visitor and to continue on this season. There’s a lot of mixed emotions right now.”

In the return, the Blue Jays get 2022 second-rounder in Coffey, still just 20 years old with a .784 OPS in Single-A this season while splitting his time between shortstop and third. He’s been teammates in Double-A with Paulino, Boston’s No. 22 prospect, who is batting .263 with a .740 OPS and plays all over the infield. Batista, the lone pitcher in the deal, is still just 19 years old and owns a 3.92 ERA over 20 2/3 innings in the Florida Complex League.

Perhaps this isn’t the end for Jansen in Toronto. Schneider was quick to express his hope that Jansen and the Blue Jays could reunite someday, perhaps even this offseason when he’s a free agent. Alejandro Kirk will take over as the starter for now, but they’ve always worked best as a tandem.

You could feel the weight of it all sinking in after Saturday’s win. The past two games have featured a walk-off win and Kevin Gausman pitching a complete game, but the Blue Jays have put themselves in a spot where something else is overshadowing it all.

After Jansen met with the media one last time, he walked back into the home clubhouse, hugging staff along the way. They all know Danny Jansen.

“I’ve been saying goodbye … I think I’ll take my time.”