The Toronto Blue Jays made a flurry of moves on Saturday, the boldest being sending catcher Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox – a rival club in the AL East division. Heading the opposite way is a trio of prospects in INF Cutter Coffey, INF Eddinson Paulino, and RHP Gilberto Batista.
The move of Jansen was one many saw coming as the Blue Jays continued to trade players before the trade deadline, with RHP Yimi García the first domino to fall while the Jays also dealt RHP Nate Pearson to the Chicago Cubs before the Jansen news.
Drafted in the 16th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, Jansen has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays and was the longest-tenured player after the franchise designated LHP Tim Mayza for assignment earlier this season.
After making his debut in 2018, Jansen has been a stalwart on the active roster, growing alongside the core of players through the rebuild years as the duo of Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins looked to form a postseason-worthy club after the departure of Alex Anthopoulos.
Blue Jays trade a fan favourite in Jansen
Jansen is currently touting a .212/.303/.369 slash line with 13 doubles, six home runs, and 18 RBIs to the tune of a .671 OPS through 198 at-bats.
The Wisconsin-raised backstop started the season on the IL after breaking a bone in his wrist during Spring Training and through April and May, he was one of the top players on the Jays’ roster – .905 OPS and a .304 BABIP while collecting five of his six home runs during this span.
Since the calendar has flipped over into June, the right-handed batter has seen a dramatic shift in the wrong direction. Through 112 plate appearances, Jansen has authored a .134/.232/.196 slash line with 14 strikeouts compared to 11 walks while collecting 5 RBIs. His .428 OPS is one of the lowest during the sample size and he has authored a .162 BABIP as the catcher has struggled to find holes and gaps to sneak the ball through.
Fielding-wise, Jansen has been as steady as ever -ranking in the 98th percentile in blocks above average and has garnered the praise of the Blue Jays pitching staff for his work behind the plate, most notably Kevin Gausman.
“He’s been here for a long time. He’s been a staple in this lineup, in this stadium, on this field, behind that plate. We’re going to miss him… He’s a hell of a person, a hell of a baseball player… I wish him nothing but the best.”
Heading to the Toronto farm system is a trio of prospects and the first pitcher the Blue Jays have acquired over the past few days.
Leading the group is Eddinson Paulino, an infielder who was ranked at #22 on the MLB Pipeline top prospect list for the Boston Red Sox.
Paulino has been in the Red Sox farm system since 2019 and started the season in Double-A with Portland. Through 69 games, the Dominican product has amassed a .263/.349/.391 slash line with a .740 OPS, 22 extra-base hits, and 35 RBIs.
The lefty bat can play third base, shortstop, and second base and will report to Double-A New Hampshire but is currently on the IL, having last suited up on July 12th. Paulino will be Rule 5 eligible this winter and will need to be added to the Blue Jays 40-man roster to be protected.
Heading to High-A Vancouver is Cutter Coffey, who has put forward a .784 OPS with Boston’s High-A affiliate through 240 at-bats. The right-handed hitting 20-year-old has 12 doubles and 14 home runs on the year to go with 46 RBIs as well as 28 walks to the tune of a .321 OBP.
Coffey has put forward a strong 2024 campaign after being drafted in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, which includes eight stolen bases. The California product has split his time between shortstop and third base this year.
Lastly, the Blue Jays add some pitching depth in the form of Gilberto Batista – a 19-year-old right-handed starter who has been described by scouts as having an electric arm that has more ceiling than floor as he continues to develop.
Batista turned stateside this season to play in the Florida Complex League and has put up a 3.92 ERA through eight outings (five starts). He has been a bit wild with his command (5.66 BB/9) but he also can strike out opponents with his four pitch arsenal – boasting a 10.02 K/9 with 23 punchouts through 20 2/3 innings – while also holding opponents to a .619 OPS. Batista will face a new challenge with Toronto, as he will be reporting to single-A Dunedin.
Blue Jays land a solid prospect haul
Overall, the Blue Jays fanbase will find this trade the most difficult to swallow considering Jansen was a fan favourite amongst the crowd. The backstop has been with the club through the rebuild years, was a great farm story from a 16th round selection to the big leagues, and had some memorable moments for the Jays that did not go unnoticed amongst his teammates.
There is always a chance that the Blue Jays could link up with Jansen again this winter but he will be one of the top catchers available amongst a weaker and older class, so the bidding will likely be high for his talents. With this deal, the Jays will need to call upon a catcher from Triple-A – with the most likely candidate being Brian Severn – who will likely finish the season with the big league squad.
With the catcher slated for free agency this winter, the Blue Jays received a solid prospect haul considering Jansen’s production has curtailed over the past two months.
The group helps add some depth to the farm system that has been depleted over the past few years and while they aren’t going to be knocking on the MLB door this season, the Jays system stands in a better spot than where they were a few days ago.
