Blue Jays bolster catching depth in trade with Athletics

Hayden Juenger waited five years to get to the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays. After being drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 draft, Juenger slowly climbed the minor league ladder and put himself on the radar of the big league club this season.

The 25-year-old right hander made his MLB debut on May 31 and in one inning he allowed three earned runs on two hits and three walks. He followed that up with a much better outing on Jun. 3 when he pitched a scoreless inning of relief against the Atlanta Braves.

But that was the end of the run for the Illinois native as he was sent back down to the minor leagues and then designated for assignment earlier this week. That move has now turned into a trade and Juenger will be heading west to join the Athletics, with Toronto picking up a catching prospect, Owen Carapellotti, in return.

The 23-year-old Carapellotti was signed as a nondrafted free agent shortly after the 2025 draft and is in his first season in pro-baseball.

Blue Jays latest addition has performed well at the plate in 2026

Carapellotti hit .289/.403/.565 with 52 home runs over four seasons with Georgetown University between 2022-2025. Not bad numbers for a catcher, so it's odd that he wasn't selected by any of the 30 MLB teams. But obviously, the Athletics saw some potential in the Michigan native, and brought him into the fold.

Through 20 games with the Athletic's Single-A team Stockton Ports, Carapellotti hit .267/.389/.627 with eight home runs, 20 RBIs and a 1.016 OPS. He also managed a 15:22 walk-to-strikeout ratio, showcasing a fairly advanced eye and knowledge of the strike zone.

Although, people will point to the fact that he is 23-years-old, and by playing at Single-A he is almost two years older than the rest of the average age of his competition. Regardless, he's continuing to career over his good numbers from his college days into his pro-ball career.

He's currently on the seven-day injured list, but will likely report to Single-A Dunedin in the coming days. He joins a farm system that has some intriguing prospects at the catching position.

Giaconino Lasaracina, who was signed out of Italy just before the World Baseball Classic prior to the 2026 season, has already graduated out of the FCL, making his debut with Single-A Dunedin earlier this week.

Franklin Rojas (.311/.425/.500, three home runs), Juan Caricote (.269/.375/.442) and Edward Duran (.216/.269/.278, eight home runs) are having good seasons within some of the lowest levels of the Blue Jays' system. Of course the biggest surprise at the catching position this year has been Brandon Valenzuela's graduation from the minors to the MLB level, hitting .245/.329/.429 with seven home runs through his first 52 games in the majors.

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