The Toronto Blue Jays have announced that they have acquired catcher Tyler Heineman heroff waivers from the Boston Red Sox, who had recently designated him for assignment. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays have designated catcher Brian Serven for assignment.
Heineman, 33, is making his third return to the Blue Jays, indicating that he has support within the Toronto front office. He first joined the Jays on a minor league contract in 2022 and was added to the roster early in that season. However, he was claimed off waivers by the Pirates in May. After a brief return to Toronto in 2023 via a trade involving utility player Vinny Capra, Heineman was put on waivers again and subsequently claimed by the Mets. The Mets later traded him to the Red Sox in January 2024 for cash.
During his time with the Red Sox, Heineman served as a depth catcher but became less essential following Boston’s acquisition of Danny Jansen, which strengthened their catching options and created an opportunity for Heineman to return to Toronto.
Despite his career featuring several team changes and limited playing time—286 plate appearances over five seasons Heineman’s defensive abilities are well regarded. Statcast and Baseball Prospectus have given him positive reviews for his framing, blocking, and throwing. Fan Graphs also highlights his skills as a plus framer and notes that he has accumulated six Defensive Runs Saved in his career.
Heineman’s minor league performance suggests potential for better offensive output. Since 2019, he has posted a .279/.372/.432 batting line in the minors, with a 107 wRC+, showing good discipline with an 11.3% walk rate and a 17% strikeout rate. His recent stint at Triple-A Worcester this season includes a .252/.379/.403 line and a 111 wRC+, indicating there may be more offensive upside.
The Blue Jays might see Heineman as a player who can provide strong defense and some offensive support in the majors. He will complete this season with under three years of service time, allowing the Jays to potentially retain him for four more years if he becomes a solid backup to Alejandro Kirk. However, he will be out of options next year, making it more challenging to keep him on the roster.
To accommodate Heineman, the Blue Jays are risking losing Serven, who has played in 28 games for Toronto this season, largely filling in after Danny Jansen’s trade. While Serven’s defensive metrics are generally average, his offensive performance has been lacking. He has struck out in 31% of his plate appearances, resulting in a .159/.243/.222 line and a 38 WRC+. Combining this with his previous time with the Rockies, his career stats show a .187/.247/.293 line over 299 major league plate appearances, with a 43 WRC+.
Be the first to comment