Brandon Valenzuela’s bat has given Blue Jays only one option for their next move

We are less than a year removed from the 2025 trade deadline and there is already one move that looks like it can take the title of "steal of the season." That trade is the one that brought catcher Brandon Valenzuela to Toronto in exchange for infielder Will Wagner. What makes this such a steal is two fold; one - the deal was barely a foot note in comparison to what else the Blue Jays did at the deadline, and two - the outcome from both sides since the deal is completely unexpected.

Wagner started the year on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, while Valenzuela was still in Double-A in the San Diego Padres system, although he did play in 27 games at Triple-A in 2024. Wagner was also already being talked about as a guy that had a major league caliber bat, but just needed some reps and to stay healthy. Meantime, Valenzuela was looked as a "back up catcher at best" whose defensive skills could be very useful.

Flash forward to June of 2026 and the script has completely flipped on Valenzuela. The 25-year-old from Mexico has not just impressed with his defense (6.3 defensive fWAR) but he's been one of the most prominent hitters in the Blue Jays' lineup for the last month.

That production has given the Blue Jays a few things to think about when their main starting catcher returns from injury, but one thing is obvious, Valenzuela cannot be sent down. Alejandro Kirk got hurt within the first week of the season and has been out since. His rehab has been progressing positively and when he's ready to get back into game action with the Blue Jays, it would've seemed like the obvious choice would be to send down the rookie.

But Valenzuela is making that thinking seem completely foolish at this point. The switch-hitting catcher has an OPS of .822 with seven home runs (second on the team) in his first 43 games at the big league level. He's tied with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the best walk percentage on the team at 11.9% (not including Davis Schneider's 19.1%), and his ISO of .222 leads the team.

Blue Jays have no choice but to keep Valenzuela on the big league roster when Kirk returns

Going into Monday's game (Jun. 8) against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Blue Jays are 32-34. They need to keep winning ball games and that means, rolling with the hot hand and putting your best players on the field as much as possible. Right now, Valenzuela is the best healthy catcher in the organization.

Tyler Heineman had his moments last year and, by all accounts, seems like a great addition to the clubhouse, Valenzuela is showing everyone game in and game out what a difference maker he can be. One option the Blue Jays may have is to roll with the three catchers and give some DH at-bats to one of them, while still allowing there to be a backup catcher on the bench in case of an emergency.

While the team may lose some flexibility in other areas of their defence, this does allow for them to manifest their most potent offensive lineup more often. George Springer has been getting the majority of at-bats as the team's primary DH, but the 36-year-old is slashing .207/.289/.351 and has been worth -0.3 fWAR. Ideally, he turns it around before it's too late, but with the Blue Jays chasing down a playoff spot, that deadline for being "too late to figure it out" is looming ever closer, especially when Valenzuela is slugging .479, over .100 points higher than Springer in over 30 less at-bats.

Valenzuela's emergence has given the Blue Jays a clear win in a trade that was completely overlooked last year. While Wagner could still certainly develop into a capable big league player, the 27-year-old son of Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, is having his worst offensive season in the minors in 2026, and has already been on the injured list twice this season. But for what the Blue Jays needed this season, Valenzuela has been the answer.

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