It will be a busy off-season for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The team wishes to contend in the 2025 season as it’s the last season in which Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are under team control. With that comes a long list of things to do, including getting a power bat or two and reconstructing the bullpen from the ground up.
One area where it doesn’t seem likely the Jays will need an upgrade is behind the plate.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5819213/2024/10/07/blue-jays-offseason-checklist/"> In a recent article for The Athletic, Kaitlyn McGrath reported</a> that the Jays believe Alejandro Kirk can catch 100 games behind the plate and see Tyler Heineman as the backup.
<blockquote>As for the catching position, the Blue Jays believe Alejandro Kirk has the potential to be behind the plate for at least 100 games and they like Tyler Heineman as a backup, so seeking out another catcher is “not something that we are going to put at the top of our list,” Atkins said, before adding, “We always have to be thinking about taking steps and if there’s an incremental one or bigger than incremental one there, and we have the ability to do so, then we will do so.”</blockquote>
On a surface level, Kirk didn’t have a great season with the Jays, at least with the bat, as he slashed .253/.319/.359 with a career-low five home runs in 386 plate appearances (min: 100 plate appearances). For context, he hit eight home runs in 189 plate appearances in 2021.
However, he had a disastrous start to his season from March 28 until April 12. Afterward, he slashed .271/.336/.393 with five home runs in 336 plate appearances. After Danny Jansen was traded and Kirk became the team’s primary catcher instead of split duty, Kirk slashed .288/.349/.418 with three home runs in 189 plate appearances, giving him a 121 wRC+ to end the season.
Of course, Kirk continued to be one of the defensive catchers in the league as well, posting the fourth-highest Defensive Runs Saved at 14, down from the 17 he had in 2023. He had the fourth-highest Catcher Framing Runs with 10 and was tied for the 20th-highest Blocks Above Average with three (after being the best blocker the past two seasons).
Moreover, his arm significantly improved. He threw out 33% of batters which was up from the 18% caught stealing he had in 2023. Of all catchers, his Catcher’s CS Above Average sat at seven, also the fourth-highest in the league.
As for Heineman, the 33-year-old has had limited experience in the big leagues, slashing .212/.298/.273 with one home run in 299 career plate appearances. Aside from 2022, he&#8217;s never had a season with more than 100 plate appearances. This part of the tandem leaves a bit to be desired, but he&#8217;s a solid defensive catcher.
So yes, catcher isn’t a primary issue of concern for the Blue Jays given Kirk’s bat came around and he’s one of the best defensive catchers in the league.
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As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

It will be a busy off-season for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The team wishes to contend in the 2025 season as it’s the last season in which Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are under team control. With that comes a long list of things to do, including getting a power bat or two and reconstructing the bullpen from the ground up.

One area where it doesn’t seem likely the Jays will need an upgrade is behind the plate.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5819213/2024/10/07/blue-jays-offseason-checklist/"> In a recent article for The Athletic, Kaitlyn McGrath reported</a> that the Jays believe Alejandro Kirk can catch 100 games behind the plate and see Tyler Heineman as the backup.
<blockquote>As for the catching position, the Blue Jays believe Alejandro Kirk has the potential to be behind the plate for at least 100 games and they like Tyler Heineman as a backup, so seeking out another catcher is “not something that we are going to put at the top of our list,” Atkins said, before adding, “We always have to be thinking about taking steps and if there’s an incremental one or bigger than incremental one there, and we have the ability to do so, then we will do so.”</blockquote>
On a surface level, Kirk didn’t have a great season with the Jays, at least with the bat, as he slashed .253/.319/.359 with a career-low five home runs in 386 plate appearances (min: 100 plate appearances). For context, he hit eight home runs in 189 plate appearances in 2021.

However, he had a disastrous start to his season from March 28 until April 12. Afterward, he slashed .271/.336/.393 with five home runs in 336 plate appearances. After Danny Jansen was traded and Kirk became the team’s primary catcher instead of split duty, Kirk slashed .288/.349/.418 with three home runs in 189 plate appearances, giving him a 121 wRC+ to end the season.

Of course, Kirk continued to be one of the defensive catchers in the league as well, posting the fourth-highest Defensive Runs Saved at 14, down from the 17 he had in 2023. He had the fourth-highest Catcher Framing Runs with 10 and was tied for the 20th-highest Blocks Above Average with three (after being the best blocker the past two seasons).

Moreover, his arm significantly improved. He threw out 33% of batters which was up from the 18% caught stealing he had in 2023. Of all catchers, his Catcher’s CS Above Average sat at seven, also the fourth-highest in the league.

As for Heineman, the 33-year-old has had limited experience in the big leagues, slashing .212/.298/.273 with one home run in 299 career plate appearances. Aside from 2022, he's never had a season with more than 100 plate appearances. This part of the tandem leaves a bit to be desired, but he's a solid defensive catcher.

So yes, catcher isn’t a primary issue of concern for the Blue Jays given Kirk’s bat came around and he’s one of the best defensive catchers in the league.

<hr />

As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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