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Blue Jays 2025 MLB free agent target: Danny Jansen
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Photo credit: © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Nov 13, 2025, 07:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 13, 2025, 05:17 EST
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Could a reunion with a former Toronto Blue Jays catcher be in the cards for the team this off-season?
Drafted by the Blue Jays out of high school in the 16th round of the 2013 draft, the 30-year-old catcher was once a top 100 prospect, making his big league debut in 2018 and becoming a regular in 2019. It wasn’t until the 2022 season that Jansen lived up to his top prospect status.
In just 248 plate appearances in 2022, Jansen slashed .260/.339/.516 with 15 home runs for a 141 wRC+ and a career-best 2.7 fWAR. The following season, Jansen hit a career-high 17 home runs, missing a large chunk of the season due to injury.
Jansen spent a part of the 2024 season with the Jays, slashing .212/.303/.369 with six home runs in 228 plate appearances, but was traded to the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2024 trade deadline for Gilberto Batista, Eddinson Paulino, and Cutter Coffey.
The rest of the 2024 season didn’t go so great for Jansen as the Red Sox missed the postseason. During the 2024/25 off-season, Jansen signed with another American League East team, the Tampa Bay Rays.
That begs the question: how did Jansen perform in 2025?

2025 Season Stats

On Dec. 6, 2024, Jansen signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, the third AL East team he’s played for in his career. In 259 plate appearances with the Rays, the Wisconsin native slashed .204/.314/.389 with 11 home runs in 259 plate appearances, along with a 12.7 BB% and 26.3 K%. 
With the Rays, Jansen was a slightly below-average hitter (98 wRC+) and a mixed bag on defence, finishing his tenure with 6 Defensive Runs Saved, but -10 Fielding Run Value. For the second consecutive trade deadline, Jansen was on the move again, as the Rays sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers, his home-state team.
Serving as the backup to William Contreras for the Brewers, Jansen slashed .254/.346/.433 with three home runs in 78 plate appearances, with an 11.5 BB% and 23.1 K% for a 119 wRC+. Although he was announced on the National League Divisional and Championship Series, Jansen didn’t appear in the postseason for the Brewers.
As a whole, Jansen slashed .215/.321/.399 with 14 home runs in 337 plate appearances for a 103 wRC+ and a 1.3 fWAR. On the defensive side of things, the 30-year-old had 6 DRS and -8 FRV in 739.1 innings caught. That said, Jansen was the second-best framer in the league with 14 Blocks Above Average, behind only Alejandro Kirk. Jansen was a below-average framer.

Does Jansen fit on the Blue Jays?

Ultimately, Jansen’s fit depends on how one views backup catcher Tyler Heineman. Unlike Jansen’s first tenure with the Blue Jays, Alejandro Kirk is the undisputed starting catcher, as he excels on both offence and defence.
The 2025 season was Heineman’s second full season in the big leagues, and he slashed .289/.361/.416 with three home runs in 174 plate appearances for a 120 wRC+. Like Kirk, Heineman was strong on the defensive side of things too, finishing the season with 10 DRS and 7 OAA in 424.2 innings caught behind home plate.
One box that Jansen fits better than Heineman is power. Jansen has never hit the 400 plate appearance mark in his career (injuries have played a big part in that), but he’s hit his fair share of home runs in his career. 
In three of the last four years, Jansen has hit the 14 home run plateau, and has reached double-digit home runs in five of his eight seasons. One of those seasons was the pandemic season, and another was when he appeared late in the season for the 2018 Jays.
According to Spotrac, Jansen’s market value sits at $7.2 million annually, with comparables to Kyle Higashioka, Victor Caratini, Travis d’Arnaud, and Christian Vázquez. He’s one of the better catchers available, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he earns a one-year deal around $7.5 million – $10 million.
While a reunion with Jansen would be fun, it doesn’t make much sense for the Blue Jays at this point. Jansen may have more power potential than Heineman, but the current Jays’ backup catcher puts the ball in play more, is a better defender, and is a far cheaper option than Jansen. Maybe one day.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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