The Toronto Blue Jays are bringing in some catching depth for 2026.

Per MLB Trade Rumours, the Blue Jays have reportedly signed catcher CJ Stubbs to a MiLB deal, as per his official roster page on MLB.com. MLBTR also notes that it appears Stubbs didn’t get an invite to big league spring training, as he was not listed on the Jays invitee list, but that could change before mid-February rolls around.

A 10th-round selection of the Houston Astros in 2019, Stubbs has been climbing the minor league ladder and has spent the majority of his time between Double-A and Triple-A since 2023. In May of 2024, Stubbs was released by the Astros, and he signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals shortly after, which is where he has been up until now.

Last season, the California product split the campaign between AA/AAA again, posting a .169/.293/.316 slash line with a .609 OPS across 225 at-bats. The Nationals promoted him to the big league roster in late August, just before rosters expanded and when Drew Millas landed on the IL with a finger fracture. Stubbs saw just one game behind the plate, going 0 for 3 with zero base stealers, before he was optioned back down to the minor leagues when the Nats signed Jorge Alfaro to help behind the plate.

What separates Stubbs from other backstops is his rocket of an arm, which has helped him generate a 30% base-stealing success rate in the minor leagues. Last season with the Nationals, he threw out 29 runners across both levels to the tune of a 35% rate.

Looking at the current roster outlook, Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman appear to be the go-to players behind the plate for Toronto heading into 2026, with additional depth in Brandon Valenzuela in Triple-A, who should see most of the time at the backstop position in Buffalo this year. Stubbs will likely work in tandem with Valenzuela, while giving the Jays some additional depth, while other prospect catchers such as Aaron Parker, Robert Brooks, Jacob Sharp, Edward Duran, and Geovanny Planchart continue to work their way up the farm system.

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