It is time to admit Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins made the right choice at this position?

It wasn't that long ago that the Toronto Blue Jays catching depth was the crown jewel of their system. Between Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk and Gabriel Moreno, the Blue Jays were in a great position considering the talent they had, lining it up with their competitive window.

But they also soon faced a cross-roads. Only one guy can catch every day, and with needs at other positions, and free agency looming, the Blue Jays pulled the trigger in a series of moves that would solidify that Kirk would be their number one guy for now, and the future.

It is time to admit Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins made the right choice at this position?

In the winter of 2022, they sent the youngest of the group, Moreno, to the Arizona Diamondbacks (along with outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.) in exchange for Daulton Varsho as the Blue Jays decided to start focusing more on defensive upgrades on the big league roster. Then at the 2024 trade deadline, with the Blue Jays out of contention, they sent Jansen to their division rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in exchange for three prospects; infielders Cutter Coffey and Eddinson Paulino, and pitcher Gilberto Batista. This left them with only Kirk still on the squad and before the 2025 season began, they locked up Kirk with a five-year $58 million extension.

Those decisions to hang on to Kirk and his subsequent contract extension raised a lot of eye brows from Blue Jays fans and MLB observers. For one, Kirk only had one really good season in his first five years in the big leagues. That came in 2022 when he was an All-Star and finished with a 4.0 bWAR in 139 games.

However, over the next two seasons Kirk was a below average hitter. Among all catchers between 2023 and 2024, Kirks -15.6 offensive fWAR ranked 44th. While his defence remained elite, (17.4 defensive fWAR in 2023 and 20.2 in 2024) the Blue Jays were going to need more out of his bat going forward.

Kirk has since delivered. In 2025 he's posted a wRC+ of 114 and while his offensive fWAR is just 1.0, his baseball savant page is loaded with red metrics. His xBA of .292 ranks in the 94th percentile. His hard hit% is 51.2, ranking in the 91st percentile. He's also managed a tremendous walk-to-strikeout ratio, drawing 34 walks and just 42 strikeouts in 400+ plate appearances (through Aug. 21). Not to mention, his defensive game has continued to stay elite with his blocks above average in the 100th percentile and his framing in the 98th percentile.

Kirk began the season slowly with just a .239/.269/.341 slash line in April. But over the next three months, Kirk was one of the best hitters on the team hitting .330/.395/.442. He also had 26 walks compared to 24 strikeouts, hit five home runs and came up with some huge clutch hits, including one against his former battery mate in Jordan Romano that gave the Blue Jays a big win over the Phillies in June.

This isn't to say that Moreno and Jansen aren't going to be big contributors for their current teams. Jansen has been traded at back to back deadlines and currently owns a .240/.333/.320 slash line in 10 games with the National Leagues best team, the Milwaukee Brewers, after starting the year with the Tampa Bay Rays. Teams obviously like his skill set and he will likely continue to stick around the big leagues as a more than capable back up - who can handle every day duties in a pinch.

Moreno has all the tools needed to be a stud catcher as well. Through his first three years with the Diamondbacks, he's posted a 7.3 bWAR in 261 games, owning a slash line of .274/.342/.399 with an OPS+ of 103. He's no slouch on the defensive side either with a 10.9 defensive fWAR this season, although he has been limited to just over 50 games due to injuries.

However, Kirk just fits the needs of the current Blue Jays makeup, giving them elite defensive skills, while be a solid middle of the order bat. Even if he does lack power, reaching double digits in home runs only twice, he makes up for it with his ability to go gap to gap, put the ball in play, and force opposing pitchers to make quality pitches against him.