Red Sox trade for Blue Jays catcher Jansen

BOSTON -- While it is no secret the Red Sox had been looking for a right-handed bat, there was no inkling they were in the market for a catcher.

But the Trade Deadline can be full of surprises. And such was the case on Saturday, as the Sox finalized a trade with the Blue Jays for catcher Danny Jansen.

TRADE DETAILS
Red Sox receive: C Danny Jansen
Blue Jays receive: High-A INF Cutter Coffey, Double-A INF Eddinson Paulino, Rookie-level RHP Gilberto Batista

"Danny gives us a right-handed bat that should play very well at Fenway,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said via text message. “He hits the ball really hard and in the air, which is especially advantageous in our ballpark. We liked our catching situation coming into the Deadline but saw an opportunity to strengthen that group."

The Sox have a solid starting catcher in Connor Wong, who is having his best year offensively, producing a sturdy line of .299/.362/.440 with nine homers and 34 RBIs. Wong has 2.0 WAR per Baseball Reference this season.

In Jansen, Boston gets a player who is well regarded behind the plate, particularly with his ability to handle a pitching staff. He has 0.9 Baseball Reference WAR in 2024.

Though Jansen has struggled offensively this season (.212/.303/.369 batting line, six homers, 18 RBIs in 228 plate appearances), the Red Sox hope his pull-side power will play up at Fenway Park, with the inviting Green Monster just 310 feet from home plate.

The addition of Jansen would seem to put backup catcher Reese McGuire’s roster spot in jeopardy, though the Sox could get creative, given Wong’s experience in the Minors at second and third base. During his time with the Red Sox, Wong has appeared in six games at first, 10 games at second and one game at third.

McGuire has been part of Boston’s catching mix since the 2022 Trade Deadline, when he was acquired from the White Sox. The left-handed hitter had a fast start at the plate this season, but he has tailed off drastically and had a .209 average in 139 at-bats entering action on Saturday.

The addition of Jansen is Boston’s second trade in the past two days. Lefty starter James Paxton was acquired from the Dodgers on Friday and will start Tuesday night at Fenway against the Mariners. Paxton is a familiar face, having pitched for the Red Sox in 2023.

Jansen has spent 12 years in the Blue Jays’ organization, stretching all the way back to the 16th round of the 2013 Draft. Since then, the rugged catcher has become one of the most respected and beloved members of the organization, working tirelessly with pitching staffs while he developed his own offensive game.

“The biggest thing you want in a catcher is a bulldog back there, and that’s Danny through and through,” Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman said recently. “He wants to be in the trenches with you. He’s a grimy guy. He’s fine getting dirty. That’s what you need for that position and he fits it perfectly. Jano is one of my favorite teammates I’ve played with and that batterymate relationship is huge.”

Since reaching the Majors, Jansen has leaned into his identity as a hitter who pulls the ball for power. He’s looking for fastballs to yank over the left-field wall, and when he’s healthy, he does just that. Unfortunately, a string of injuries have limited Jansen to 70, 72 and 86 games in the past three seasons. Many of these have been of the bad-luck variety -- tipped balls, hit-by-pitches -- but it has made Jansen a fascinating case as he enters free agency this winter.

Jansen is capable of handling any workload and could be a useful bench bat when he’s swinging it right. He has actually hit righties better than lefties over his career, so there’s not much of a platoon split to be found, but Jansen has always brought the Blue Jays more value than shown by his stat line alone. At just 29 years old, he will be one of the top catchers on the market this offseason.