The Cubs have expressed curiosity in Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen, based on USA In the present day’s Bob Nightengale. It’s unclear how critical discussions between the edges have grow to be at this level.
It could hardly be a shock to see Toronto half methods with Jansen previous to the deadline on July 30. The membership has skilled a freefall within the standings that has seen the membership drop to only 43-52, 14 video games out of the AL East and 9.5 video games out of a playoff spot. That large deficit within the standings has left the membership’s playoff odds (based on Fangraphs) at simply 1.6%. Given these dismal odds, it’s solely pure that the membership is reportedly “expressing openness” to transferring on from rental gamers this summer time.
Jansen, 29, is likely one of the membership’s extra intriguing rental gamers. Initially drafted within the sixteenth spherical again in 2013 by the Blue Jays, the Wisconsin native made his huge league debut with Toronto again in 2018 and usually struggled on the plate early in his profession. He carried a lackluster .208/.297/.370 slash line (79 wRC+) into the 2021 season. Thankfully, in 2021 Toronto started to lean much less closely on Jansen behind the plate as a result of arrival of teen Alejandro Kirk. From 2021-23, Jansen loved a resurgence on offense whereas being counted on for a mean of simply 76 video games a yr. In 754 journeys to the plate throughout these three seasons, he noticed his wRC+ bounce to 121 as he slashed a stable .237/.317/.487 whereas clubbing 43 dwelling runs.
Early within the 2024 marketing campaign, Jansen gave the impression to be on monitor for the very best season of his profession as he was slashing an unbelievable .287/.371/.535 via the top of Might. He struck out simply 15.5% of the time in these 116 journeys to the plate whereas strolling at a 12.1% clip and crushing 5 homers. Paired with usually robust defensive grades behind the plate all through his profession, that figured to make him a particularly enticing free agent this winter, as MLBTR’s Anthony Franco explored for Entrance Workplace subscribers on the time.
Issues have come off the rails a bit for Jansen since then, nonetheless. In 91 journeys to the plate because the begin of June, Jansen has posted a lackluster .141/.253/.218 throughout 26 video games. A watch-popping .164 BABIP that’s all however sure to take pleasure in some optimistic regression signifies that there’s some cause for optimism when Jansen’s numbers throughout this latest stoop, as does the truth that Jansen’s plate self-discipline numbers (18.9% strikeout charge, 11% stroll charge) stay spectacular. Even so, it’s laborious to think about the Jays getting anyplace near the commerce return they may have had Jansen maintained his early season manufacturing now that he’s hitting a roughly league common .223/.319/.397 (103 wRC+) for the season.
Even so, it’s not laborious to see why the Cubs can be eager about Jansen’s companies. The membership has struggled considerably on offense this yr with a collective wRC+ of 102 that ranks sixteenth within the majors this yr, even regardless of glorious seasons from nook bats Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, and Michael Busch. The obvious wrongdoer for these struggles on the dish in Chicago is the gamers they’re utilizing behind it, as Cubs catchers have slashed a pathetic .180/.227/.264 this yr. That interprets to a wRC+ of 39 that ranks twenty ninth within the majors forward of solely the lowly Marlins.
It’s potential the Cubs can be keen to abdomen that brutal offense manufacturing in the event that they had been getting elite protection behind the plate, however teen Miguel Amaya has been price -2 runs based on Statcast’s Fielding Run Worth, and veteran Yan Gomes was performing even worse earlier than being changed by Tomas Nido after he was launched by the Mets final month. Nido has appeared good behind the plate however has hit a ghastly .135/.154/.189 in 13 video games with the Cubs. He doesn’t have a lot of a monitor document to lean on, both, as a seven-game stint in 2020 is the one time in his profession he’s posted a wRC+ larger than 86.
These woes behind the plate make the Cubs an apparent match for Jansen’s companies, though it’s truthful to marvel if Chicago will likely be in place to purchase by the point the deadline rolls round. In spite of everything, the group is presently 5 video games beneath .500 (46-51) and in useless final within the NL Central. They’re solely 4.5 video games out of the ultimate NL Wild Card spot, however Fangraphs provides them playoff odds of simply 8.7%. Whereas that’s considerably larger than the aforementioned odds Toronto has, it nonetheless suggests a postseason berth is a distant risk for Chicago, and it could hardly be a shock to see them pivot in direction of promoting in the event that they wrestle popping out of the All Star break.
Ought to the Cubs wind up shopping for, Jansen isn’t the one Blue Jays hitter the membership has reported curiosity in. Final month, it was reported that Chicago was having inside discussions about the potential for pursuing star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. if the Blue Jays determined to promote. After all, that reporting got here on the heels of GM Ross Atkins very plainly saying that dealing Guerrero, who’s controllable via the top of the 2025 marketing campaign, “doesn’t make any sense” for the group to do. Whereas it’s at the least theoretically potential the membership’s entrance workplace modifications its stance earlier than the deadline, that risk appears distant at greatest as issues stand.
