The Rays are upgrading behind the plate. Tampa Bay is in settlement with free agent catcher Danny Jansen on a one-year take care of a mutual choice for 2026. The contract, which is pending a bodily, reportedly ensures the ISE Baseball consumer $8.5MM — taking the type of an $8MM wage and a $500K buyout on the $12MM choice. Jansen reportedly declined multi-year proposals with a view to return to the open market subsequent winter.
Jansen, 29, is a longtime division foe, having spent his complete profession thus far with the Blue Jays and, briefly this summer season, the Purple Sox. He’s a rebound candidate trying to bounce again after a down yr on the plate by 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 resulting from a fracture in his wrist he suffered throughout spring coaching. Jansen raced out of the gate with a .295/.375/.533 slash by means of his first 120 plate appearances earlier than falling into a protracted hunch from which he by no means actually recovered. Jansen hit simply .150/.270/.237 over his ultimate 204 journeys to the plate.
(Anecdotally, Jansen additionally turned the primary participant in MLB historical past to play for each groups in the identical recreation, beginning for the Jays in a rain-suspended recreation towards 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 fee). 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 will help them resolve a necessity behind the plate that has continued 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 anticipate 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 obtained 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 could possibly be a large enchancment to the lineup. Defensively, he’s most likely a step down, although there’s motive to hope for enchancment in 2025. Jansen has usually rated as a stable 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 fee 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 might have a subsequent affect 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 might nonetheless change dramatically, nonetheless, because the Rays have obtained 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 injury that ruined Tropicana Discipline’s roof and compelled the Rays to relocate to Tampa’s Steinbrenner Discipline (house of the Yankees’ Class-A affiliate). The Jansen deal, nonetheless, 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 Occasions 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 determination to say no multi-year gives. Topkin was first with the mutual choice and wage breakdown.
