The Rays are upgrading behind the plate. Tampa Bay is in settlement with free agent catcher Danny Jansen on a one-year cope with a mutual possibility for 2026. The contract, which is pending a bodily, reportedly ensures the ISE Baseball shopper $8.5MM — taking the type of an $8MM wage and a $500K buyout on the $12MM possibility. Jansen reportedly declined multi-year proposals as a way to return to the open market subsequent winter.
Jansen, 29, is a longtime division foe, having spent his whole profession to this point with the Blue Jays and, briefly this summer time, the Purple Sox. He’s a rebound candidate trying to bounce again after a down yr on the plate through which he slashed simply .206/.308/.348 in 328 plate appearances. It was a tough yr and a very tough end for Jansen, however heading into the season he seemed primed for a notable deal in free company. From 2021-23, he slashed a mixed .237/.317/.487 (121 wRC+) — together with an enormous .260/.339/.516 exhibiting in 2022.
Any dialogue of Jansen’s downturn on the plate ought to pay attention to the truth that he opened the season on the injured listing on account of a fracture in his wrist he suffered throughout spring coaching. Jansen raced out of the gate with a .295/.375/.533 slash by his first 120 plate appearances earlier than falling into a protracted droop from which he by no means actually recovered. Jansen hit simply .150/.270/.237 over his closing 204 journeys to the plate.
(Anecdotally, Jansen additionally grew to become the primary participant in MLB historical past to play for each groups in the identical sport, beginning for the Jays in a rain-suspended sport in opposition to the Purple Sox that was subsequently completed within the second half — after he’d been traded to Boston.)
Jansen nonetheless walked at a stout 12.7% clip in that point and fanned in a barely lower-than-average 21% of his plate appearances. Nonetheless, his high quality of contact went into the tank (85 mph common exit velocity, 24.2% hard-hit price). Jansen’s .172 common on balls in play throughout that span of simply over 200 plate appearances was certainly indicative of some poor fortune, however the lack of high quality contact underscores that it wasn’t mere dangerous luck by itself.
The Rays will hope a more healthy Jansen may help them clear up a necessity behind the plate that has endured for a number of seasons. Tampa Bay’s catchers final yr have been predictably among the many least-productive within the league — as one would count on when opening the yr with journeyman Alex Jackson and a defensive specialist like Ben Rortvedt as the large league catching tandem. By measure of wRC+, the Rays’ catchers have been 33% worse than common on the plate. Solely the Marlins and White Sox acquired less-productive output from the place. Tampa Bay catchers mixed for a disastrous .194/.272/.291 slash on the season, although Rortvedt’s knack for drawing walks and robust glovework no less than made issues barely extra palatable.
Even when Jansen merely matches final yr’s lackluster output, it’d be an offensive improve for the Rays. If he can recapture a portion of his 2021-23 kind, it may very well be an enormous enchancment to the lineup. Defensively, he’s most likely a step down, although there’s cause to hope for enchancment in 2025. Jansen has sometimes rated as a strong however not elite defender. Statcast gave him plus grades for blocking pitches within the filth and barely below-average framing marks final yr. Jansen has a profession 20% caught-stealing price however sits simply over 13% prior to now two seasons. Nonetheless, he’s fractured the center finger and the wrist in his throwing hand over these two seasons, both of which may have a subsequent influence on his throwing; Jansen’s common 1.99 second pop time remains to be proper consistent with the place it sat in 2022 (1.98 seconds).
Jansen’s signing ought to push the Rays’ payroll into the $86MM vary. That quantity may nonetheless change dramatically, nevertheless, because the Rays have acquired commerce curiosity in veterans like Jeffrey Springs ($10.5MM in 2024), Yandy Diaz ($10MM), Pete Fairbanks ($3.666MM) and Zack Littell (projected $4.8MM) — amongst others. It’s not clear simply how prepared possession is to spend within the wake of the hurricane harm that ruined Tropicana Discipline’s roof and compelled the Rays to relocate to Tampa’s Steinbrenner Discipline (dwelling of the Yankees’ Class-A affiliate). The Jansen deal, nevertheless, no less than alerts a willingness to spend modestly, even when the eventual plan is to stability issues out by buying and selling different veterans for younger, controllable (and cheaper) expertise.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Instances first reported the Rays and Jansen have been nearing a deal. Ken Rosenthal and Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic reported that it might be a one-year contract. Robert Murray of FanSided reported the $8.5MM assure, in addition to Jansen’s resolution to say no multi-year presents. Topkin was first with the mutual possibility and wage breakdown.