Every Blue Jays player who is out of minor league options ahead of the 2025 season

Hagen Danner

Danner made his big league debut in 2023 but left his first game early with an injury. The catcher-turned-pitcher didn't resurface at the game's highest level in 2024, but he put together a strong showing in Triple-A Buffalo.

Danner, 26, made it into a combined 34 games (one in Single-A, 33 in Triple-A), earning seven saves while sporting a 3.15 ERA in 35.1 innings. He struck out 36 batters and walked 13 along the way, which are both regressions from a solid 2023 campaign in the minor leagues.

As of right at this moment, Danner has a strong case for cracking the 2025 Opening Day roster, but that's if the Blue Jays don't add any outside pieces this winter.

While it's always a mystery how Ross Atkins operates his club, there's little to no chance we make it to 2025 without a new-look bullpen. In that instance, Danner would be one of the player squeezed out. If he is exposed to the waiver wire, there's a good chance he'll get snagged by another club in need of a high-strikeout reliever.

Tyler Heineman

Atkins is apparently comfortable with an Alejandro Kirk-Tyler Heineman pairing behind the plate entering '25, but he shouldn't be. Kirk put together a strong second-half showing in 2024 once Danny Jansen was traded, so he should be good to go. Heineman, on the other hand, went 1-for-10 in five games after the Blue Jays acquired him yet again.

No disrespect to Heineman, but the Blue Jays need to be aiming higher in their search for production in their lineup. Kirk will be the starter in 2025, but that doesn't mean the backup can be a virtual black hole on offense. Maybe Blue Jays fans were just spoiled with the Kirk-Jansen battery, but the Jays need to bring in a player with more of a bat than Heineman.