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Blue Jays option Brandon Valenzuela, assign five others to Minor League camp
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Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Mar 18, 2026, 20:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 18, 2026, 20:39 EDT
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There are just nine more days remaining before the Toronto Blue Jays season begins.
As we get closer to that day, the Blue Jays will make more and more roster cuts. The latest rounds of cuts came on Wednesday evening, as catcher Brandon Valenzuela was optioned to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, while Carlos Mendoza, Rafael Lantigua, Josh Rivera, Robert Brooks, and Riley Tirotta were assigned to the team’s Minor League camp.
Valenzuela, a switch-hitter, is their backup catcher of the future. Acquired in the Will Wagner deal ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, Valenzuela slashed ..304/.370/.478 with one home run in 27 plate appearances this Spring Training. After the trade, Valenzuela slashed ./207/.295/.370 with three home runs, giving him a career-best 15 home runs. While there’s some pop in his bat, Valenzuela’s best attribute is his defence behind home plate.
Brooks, the other catcher who was cut, received just eight plate appearances in Spring Training, where he slashed .286/.375/.286. Signed as a free agent from the independent leagues, Brooks slashed .135/.218/.22 with two home runs in 142 plate appearances in 2025. He mainly played for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, but had 11 plate appearances with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Tirotta had a strong showing in his 20 Spring Training games, slashing .226/.351/.452 with two home runs and four doubles in 37 plate appearances. The 27-year-old is capable of playing numerous positions, spending time at first base, third base, and right field in 2025. There’s some whiff in his game, but the versatility and pop could eventually turn into a callup.
Lantigua’s best season was in 2023, when he slashed .305/.425/.469 with 12 home runs in 578 plate appearances with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Much like Tirotta, Lantigua can play all over the field and had a successful Spring Training, slashing .367/.457/.400 with a double in 35 plate appearances.
Mendoza was signed to a minor league deal in November, and he broke out in the Detroit Tigers system last season. Over 97 games, the utility player slashed .287/.394/.409 with seven home runs in 407 plate appearances for a career-best 137 wRC+. This Spring Training, the 26-year-old slashed .412/.524/.471 with no home runs in 21 plate appearances. Like Lantigua and Tirotta, Mendoza can play numerous positions and could find his way on the Jays’ roster in 2026.
Rivera, acquired in the Nate Pearson trade that also brought Yohendrick Piñango to the Jays, is a 25-year-old infielder. Aside from a home run, it was a pretty rough Spring Training, as he slashed .222/.333/.389 with four hits over 21 plate appearances.
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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