The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the best catchers in Major League Baseball, but in today’s game, that’s not quite enough.
Alejandro Kirk made his second All-Star team this season as a 26-year-old, and the Blue Jays have to be thrilled that they locked him in on a five-year, $58 million extension through 2030 before his value took off. But it would be nice to have a more reliable long-term backup than Tyler Heineman, who just had his first and only above-average offensive season in the majors at age 34.
The Blue Jays’ catching depth chart beyond Kirk and Heineman was quite thin to begin the offseason, even after acquiring minor-leaguer Brandon Valenzuela in a trade with the San Diego Padres in July. Toronto attempted to address that shortcoming with its latest minor-league signing.
According to the official transactions log of Major League Baseball, the Blue Jays signed 24-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates farmhand Geovanny Planchart to a minor-league contract on Tuesday. The transaction first appeared on the log on Thursday.
Planchart plays some first base as well, but if he ever makes it to the majors as a Blue Jay, it’s highly unlikely he’ll take any innings away from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at that spot. He’s never had incredible offensive statistics (.600 OPS this season), but defense typically supersedes offense when it comes to evaluating potential backup catchers.
Minor-league framing statistics are virtually nonexistent below the Triple-A level, and Planchart has yet to make his Triple-A debut. He’s likely at least a year away from debuting in the majors, but if the Blue Jays like the way he receives pitches and he keeps up his 41% caught-stealing rate from a year ago, he might one day ascend to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.
Valenzuela will likely get the first crack at backing up Kirk if Heineman struggles or gets injured this year, but Planchart is a potentially valuable name to add to the list of future options.
