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Blue Jays acquire Willie MacIver from Rangers
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Photo credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Apr 24, 2026, 18:15 EDTUpdated: Apr 24, 2026, 18:17 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays have made their fourth trade of the young season.
On Friday evening, the team announced that they have traded cash considerations to the Texas Rangers for Willie MacIver, a 29-year-old catcher who was designated for assignment on Thursday. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays have designated Tyler Fitzgerald for assignment.
MacIver was drafted in the ninth round of the 2018 draft by the Colorado Rockies. The right-handed batter spent six seasons in the organization, matching a career-best 15 home runs in 369 plate appearances with their Triple-A team in 2024. MacIver also slashed .297/.381/.530 for a 117 wRC+ that season.
A free agent after the end of the season, MacIver signed with the Athletics organization, beginning the season with their Triple-A team. Over 235 innings, the catcher hit seven home runs and slashed .362/.426/.541 for a 133 wRC+. He made his big league debut in May and slashed .186/.252/.324 with three home runs in 111 plate appearances for a 58 wRC+.
MacIver was once a top 30 prospect in the Rockies’ organization, ranking as their 28th-best prospect in 2019 according to MLB Pipeline. Power and defence were his best tools at the time, which makes sense given his ability to hit double-digit home runs in the minor leagues over the years. In his limited time in the big leagues, MacIver had -3 Defensive Runs Saved and -2 Fielding Run Value in 249 innings.
This looks like a pure depth move for the team. Alejandro Kirk went down with a thumb injury in the Blue Jays’ third series of the season, requiring the Jays to call up third-string catcher Brandon Valenzuela. If one of Valenzuela or Tyler Heineman went down with an injury, C.J. Stubbs would’ve been the next one up, which is a concern given he has played just one big league game.
Early in the season, the Blue Jays DFA’d Leo Jiménez and traded him to the Miami Marlins for international free agency bonus pool money and prospect Dub Gleed. After Fitzgerald was DFA’d by the San Francisco Giants, the Jays sent cash to the California-based team for his services. 
Their biggest trade so far this season saw the Jays send future considerations and prospect Jordan Rich to the Chicago White Sox for Lenyn Sosa. Hopefully, the Jays make a few more big moves ahead of the trade deadline in August.
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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