3 players the Blue Jays could target if they entertained a Brandon Valenzuela trade

Brandon Valenzuela began the 2026 season as catching depth, but when the season was over he had seemingly solidified himself as the backup catcher for the foreseeable future for the Toronto Blue Jays. What looked like a temporary promotion after Alejandro Kirk fractured his left thumb became a season-long audition in which Valenzuela established himself as an elite defender. He even earned recognition as an American League Gold Glove finalist.

That depth is valuable, but it also brings up a legitimate offseason question. With Kirk entrenched as the starter, would the Blue Jays be better served keeping Valenzuela as a high-end backup or using his rising value to address a more pressing need elsewhere on the roster?

Why Valenzuela has real trade value

Valenzuela’s market starts with his defense. In 91 games as a rookie, he ranked among the top five major-league catchers in Statcast Fielding Run Value and FanGraphs’ defensive rating. His framing and blocking gave Toronto’s pitchers a steady target, while his arm helped him throw out 19 of 63 attempted base stealers.

He also held his own at the plate for the first half of the season when he produced a .241/.322/.407 line and a 106 wRC+. Valenzuela’s age and years of club control would certainly be intriguing for prospective teams. Getting a 26-year-old catcher who has already shown he can handle a major-league staff is the type of profile that could be the centre of a decent trade package.

However, there will be detractors around the league. While Valenzuela finished with nine home runs, a double-digit walk rate and a .688 OPS across 271 plate appearances, his second half numbers were not good. He produced a .182/.276/.299 with a 65 wRC+ after the All-Star break. His walk rate held steady, but the strikeouts started to tick up and and he hit just two home runs.

To be fair, rookie catchers often wear down under the physical and mental demands of the position, and teams will likely value his defence first. But it does, limit the return Toronto can reasonably expect. Valenzuela alone is unlikely to fetch an established middle-of-the-order bat or a frontline starter. A more realistic outcome would be a need-for-need deal involving a player with similar control and upside.

What could the Blue Jays get on the trade market for Brandon Valenzuela?

There are several teams that are likely looking for a catcher this offseason and the free agent market is somewhat thin. Three teams that could meet a need-for-need trade are the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.

Yankees - Luis Garcia Jr.

The most ambitious idea would be a deal with the Yankees centred on Luis García Jr. García hit 30 home runs with an .830 OPS in 2026, although his production slipped to a .264/.302/.434 slash line after New York acquired him at the deadline but they are already rumored to be shopping around Garcia this offseason.

His left-handed power would interest Toronto, and returning Garcia back to second base while filling in for Guerrero Jr. at first could address the need to get more pop from the right side of the infield.

The Yankees would almost certainly demand more than Valenzuela in return. But they are also desperate to upgrade on Austin Wells behind the dish and they will need to potentially replace other players such as Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm, David Bednar, and Paul Goldschmidt just to name a few.

Cubs - Kevin Alcántara

Chicago is potentially losing Carson Kelly behind the plate, putting the Cubs in need of a replacement. Kevin Alcántara is a 24-year-old right-handed outfielder that will be fighting for playing time with the South Siders. Alcántara hit 20 home runs with an .852 OPS at Triple-A in 2026.

The power and handedness should intrigue Toronto who currently only has two MLB outfielders who bat from the right side and that's Anthony Santander (a switch-hitter and outfielder is a loose term with him) and Davis Schenider (who could be a non-tender candidate).

It could be risky to move a proven MLB backup catcher (at worst) in Valenzuela for Alcántara who has yet to stick around in the big leagues after 37 games over three stints dating back to 2024. But the Blue Jays need some flexibility in their outfield corps and after the Blue Jays had so much success with their last trade with the Cubs they might be wise to go to the well again.

Reds - JJ Bleday

JJ Bleday represents another version of the same need-for-need framework. The Cincinnati outfielder hit .217/.324/.416 with 24 home runs and 72 walks in 2026. Again, the pop is the selling point here and he's under team control through 2028.

His significant second-half drop and stronger production against right-handed pitching make him more of a platoon-oriented corner bat and, as stated, the Blue Jays already have a few of those in Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger, Sean Keys and Yohendrick Piñango. Still, if Cincinnati decides it needs a defensive upgrade behind the plate, Valenzuela could form the foundation of a conversation.

Keeping Valenzuela may still be the better move

The strongest argument against a trade is Kirk’s 2026 injury. Toronto learned how quickly catching depth can derail a season. Valenzuela helped stabilize a key piece of the Blue Jays roster and held his own.

There is also room for both catchers. Kirk is the clear starter, but carrying Valenzuela would allow Toronto to protect him from overuse and they could use either catcher at designated hitter on occasion

Valenzuela has enough value that the Blue Jays should not make him untouchable, and if another club is willing to exchange a controllable everyday outfielder, or a credible second-base option, Toronto would be justified in using its catching depth to improve a thinner area of the roster.

But dealing him simply because Kirk is ahead of him would be a mistake. Valenzuela’s defence, affordability and ability to step into a larger role give the Blue Jays more certainty than most teams possess behind their starting catcher. Unless the return clearly improves the 2027 roster, keeping one of baseball’s better defensive catching tandems is the safer—and probably smarter—choice.

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