logo
Former Blue Jay Tyler Heineman believes in ability to ‘manage game’ behind the plate
alt
Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Aug 28, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 28, 2026, 08:47 EDT
Comments
Major League Baseball is a business.
Oftentimes that line can get blurred for fans as they develop an attachment for the players who have success representing the team they root for. 
In the case of the Toronto Blue Jays, they went through this situation when they designated Tyler Heineman for assignment and eventually traded the catcher to the Los Angeles Angels after parts of three seasons with the club. 
On Wednesday, Heineman joined the 6ix Inning Stretch Podcast with Lindsay Dunn and Whit Merrifield to discuss being DFA’d, how he spent the 2026 MLB trade deadline, and what he brings to an organization at this point in his career. 
“The week after [being DFA’d] is always tough. It’s a hard thing because you’re kind of in limbo and you don’t really know anything. You hear from the general manager, so Ross called me and told me, we’re going to try and trade you in a 48-hour window, and then we’ll put you on waivers and hopefully you clear, so you are here with us,” Heineman said. “I understood it and unfortunately, I didn’t perform the way I felt I could perform and it’s been that way the entire year.” 
After being DFA’d on June 12, Heineman was acquired by the Angels on June 17 in exchange for cash considerations. The Angels, who sit currently at 52-82 through 134 games, are in a much different spot than the Blue Jays as they have been trying to break a playoff drought that dates back to 2014. 
In the midst of another poor season, the Angels sold off players at the trade deadline to try and restock a prospect pool that is currently ranked tied for 13th in ESPN’s latest rankings. While moving players at the trade deadline is part of the sport, a bunch of the Angels were golfing at Mike Trout’s golf course that day, making for an interesting place for players to learn they were going to be donning new colours.
“It was weird because everyone on the trade deadline was getting picked off like flies. [Jo] Adell was there, he left early, [Brent] Suter was there, he left early,” Heineman said. “I think we had a total of 12 guys from the team that went to play golf and stay at his house, and four of them were gone.”
Through 64 games this season with both the Blue Jays and Angels, Heineman is batting .175 with one home run and nine RBIs. While his production has improved slightly following his trade, the offence has failed to match his 2025 season when Heineman batted .289 with three home runs and 20 RBIs. 
At 35 years old and currently appearing with his sixth big-league organization, Heineman knows what he brings to a club and still feels he has the ability to make an impact due to his work behind the dish. 
“Honestly, I love playing. I love being somebody back there that puts the work into gameplan and scout. That’s my favourite thing to do, is be prepared and call pitches,” Heineman said. “I’m somebody that knows how to call and manage a game, so I’m still doing that well and still enjoy it.”
Sponsored by bet365


Editorials
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News