Seven games into the 2026 season, Blue Jays starting catcher Alejandro Kirk went down with a thumb injury. Right away, it seemed like a long-term IL stint was forthcoming. His subsequent thumb surgery put his return in the eight-to-ten-week range.

That’s eons to be missing one of the best defensive and offensive catchers in baseball. At the time, it looked like Tyler Heineman would step into the full-time catcher role, but an unforeseen hero emerged in the meantime.

A minor trade the Blue Jays made at last year’s trade deadline proved fruitful, as Brandon Valenzuela blossomed into one of the most valuable catchers in baseball during the first half. Just like every Blue Jays fan expected.

It’s a scenario that every team dreams of, but with Kirk’s return on the horizon, the Blue Jays have the enviable task of figuring out how to shoehorn two high-producing catchers into the lineup while keeping a depth piece on the roster who doesn’t have any options left.

In recent weeks, Valenzuela has cemented himself as one of the most valuable offensive pieces in the Blue Jays’ lineup, and his defensive play has grown by leaps and bounds since his MLB debut on April 5. While Valenzuela was previously on the catching depth periphery, he is now fully entrenched on this roster.

So how do the Blue Jays solve their catching conundrum? It’s a good problem to have, but there are really only three solutions.

One wonders how much a backup veteran catcher with no options could fetch on the trade market, but Heineman still has value. He’s a switch-hitter, a plus defender, with great blocking, framing, and throwing skills. Even though he’s 34 years old, Heineman is arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2027 and not a free agent until 2029.

The Blue Jays pulled all the right levers last year, as Heineman had a magical season in a backup role to Kirk. It’s unlikely Heineman will ever post a 120 wRC+ in his career again, but that was probably one of the best secondary catcher seasons you’ll ever see.

It’s no surprise Heineman’s offensive numbers have come back down to earth as he’s spent more time behind the dish, but that’s expected for anyone coming off a career year in 2025. With the Blue Jays on the doorstep of having three catchers on the 26-man roster, trading Heineman might be the ideal move here.

Looking around the league, there are teams in contention who can always use an upgrade at the catcher position. The Cleveland Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, or Texas Rangers are clubs that might benefit from a new backup backstop.

This one is the trickiest of the three to pull off, but maybe keeping Kirk, Valenzuela, and Heineman on the roster would give the Blue Jays a safety net. They’ve already had players who have come off the IL only to return days later, so jettisoning Heineman before Kirk is back up to speed wouldn’t be a wise play in asset management.

The question is how the Blue Jays would work all three catchers into the fold, with Kirk and Valenzuela occupying most of the playing time. Cycling one of the catchers into the DH spot wouldn’t make sense because that’s George Springer’s domain. Unless there’s a trip to the IL on the horizon for Springer, even having two catchers on the roster is a logjam.

Since Kirk is coming back from a thumb injury, he’ll need some time to get back up to speed, not only with hitting, but catching with regularity behind the plate. Giving Valenzuela the bulk of catcher reps could help ease Kirk back into the fold.

Yes, the Blue Jays seemed eager to deal away from their catching depth back in 2022 when they traded Gabriel Moreno, and the Kirk/Valenzuela/Heineman trio looks to be another scenario with a lack of reps for all three players. But just like the club’s starting pitching situation, better to have too much than not enough.

This contingency plan seems like the cleanest break, and might be the avenue the Blue Jays need to take if they don’t find an outright taker for Heineman in trade. He has no minor league options, and since he has more than three years of service time, he can refuse an assignment to the minors and become a free agent.

It’s extremely unlikely the veteran backstop would go unclaimed on waivers, but it’s uncertain whether Heineman would accept being demoted to the minor leagues. Given the Blue Jays’ recent history with injuries, it might not be a bad idea for him to hang around in Buffalo, but if there’s an opportunity to start elsewhere, Heineman’s taking that in a heartbeat.

In this case, any potential team has the Blue Jays over a barrel, removing any leverage for Toronto in trade talks. If anything is coming back in return for a Heineman trade, whether it’s a fringe prospect, a player to be named later, or cash, that’s a bonus.

But if the Blue Jays value that roster flexibility to give at-bats to both Kirk and Valenzuela, it’s going to be difficult to fit everyone into the picture. Designating Heineman for assignment would temporarily open the roster spot (whether that’s for Kirk or somebody else) while the Blue Jays attempt to work on a Heineman trade.

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