The Cubs have expressed curiosity in Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen, in line with USA In the present day’s Bob Nightengale. It’s unclear how severe discussions between the perimeters have turn out to be at this level.
It will 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 huge deficit within the standings has left the membership’s playoff odds (in line with Fangraphs) at simply 1.6%. Given these dismal odds, it’s solely pure that the membership is reportedly “expressing openness” to shifting on from rental gamers this summer season.
Jansen, 29, is among 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 large 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 strong .237/.317/.487 whereas clubbing 43 residence runs.
Early within the 2024 marketing campaign, Jansen gave the impression to be on observe for the most effective season of his profession as he was slashing an unbelievable .287/.371/.535 by the tip 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 sturdy defensive grades behind the plate all through his profession, that figured to make him an especially engaging 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 for the reason that 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 get pleasure from some constructive regression signifies that there’s some purpose for optimism when taking a look at Jansen’s numbers throughout this current droop, as does the truth that Jansen’s plate self-discipline numbers (18.9% strikeout fee, 11% stroll fee) stay spectacular. Even so, it’s exhausting to think about the Jays getting anyplace near the commerce return they could 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.
Nonetheless, it’s not exhausting to see why the Cubs could be interested by 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 wonderful seasons from nook bats Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and Michael Busch. The obvious offender 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 doable the Cubs could be prepared 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 value -2 runs in line with 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 seemed 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 observe report to lean on, both, as a seven-game stint in 2020 is the one time in his profession he’s posted a wRC+ increased than 86.
These woes behind the plate make the Cubs an apparent match for Jansen’s companies, though it’s honest to surprise if Chicago can be in place to purchase by the point the deadline rolls round. In spite of everything, the staff is at present 5 video games under .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 offers them playoff odds of simply 8.7%. Whereas that’s considerably increased than the aforementioned odds Toronto has, it nonetheless suggests a postseason berth is a distant risk for Chicago, and it will hardly be a shock to see them pivot in the direction of promoting in the event that they battle 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 inner discussions about the potential for pursuing star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. if the Blue Jays determined to promote. In fact, that reporting got here on the heels of GM Ross Atkins very plainly saying that dealing Guerrero, who’s controllable by the tip of the 2025 marketing campaign, “doesn’t make any sense” for the staff to do. Whereas it’s at the least theoretically doable the membership’s entrance workplace modifications its stance earlier than the deadline, that risk appears distant at greatest as issues stand.
