Danny Jansen trade: Blue Jays ship catcher to division foe Red Sox as Boston eyes wild-card spot

Jansen will likely back up Connor Wong in place of Reese McGuire, who has struggled offensively

By R.J. Anderson Jul 27, 2024 at 7:11 pm ET• 1 min read

The Boston Red Sox have reachd an agreement to acquire catcher Danny Jansen from the Toronto Blue Jays, the teams announced Saturday. Headed to the Jays organization are High-A infielder Cutter Coffey, Double-A infielder Eddinson Paulino and Rookie ball starting pitcher Gilberto Batista. 

Jansen, 29, is an impending free agent. In 61 games this season, he's hit .212/.303/.369 (90 OPS+) with six home runs and 13 additional extra-base hits. Those marks are beneath his norms -- over the last three seasons, for instance, he had hit .237/.317/.487 (120 OPS+) with averages of 14 home runs in 76 games.

That the Red Sox are the team acquiring Jansen is somewhat curious. Boston has one highly productive catcher in tow in Connor Wong, who entered Saturday with a 121 OPS+ over his first 77 games. Red Sox backup Reese McGuire, conversely, has struggled at the plate while offering some value as a receiver.