Offering two ideal catching candidates if the Blue Jays don't re-sign Danny Jansen

The Toronto Blue Jays have plenty of work to do this offseason, with glaring holes all over the roster. Starting pitching is apparently a priority for general manager Ross Atkins, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported from the GM Meetings. The bullpen also needs help. They could do with some upgrades on the infield and maybe the outfield while we're at it.

One of the lesser-discussed problems on the roster is behind the plate. The Blue Jays should be looking for another catcher to pair with Alejandro Kirk.

Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first. Blue Jays fans would absolutely love a reunion with long-time Jays catcher Danny Jansen. The 29-year-old was partway through his seventh season in Toronto before being traded at the deadline to the division rival Boston Red Sox.

If Atkins is unwilling or unable to bring Jansen back as a free agent, there are other options available on the free agent market.

Travis d'Arnaud and Carson Kelly are ideal catching candidates if the Blue Jays don't re-sign Danny Jansen

The Atlanta Braves declined to pick up Travis d'Arnaud's $8M option on Monday, sending him into free agency. The 35-year-old former Blue Jays prospect — he was part of the return for Roy Halladay before being dealt to the New York Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade — would provide an experienced presence behind the plate and a viable bat to take some of the workload off of Kirk's shoulders.

The veteran backstop slashed .238/.302/.436 in 341 plate appearances in 2024, his fifth season in Atlanta. Despite only playing in 99 games, he put up 15 home runs and 48 RBI, and his .739 OPS was above league average (103 OPS+). He excelled against left-handed pitching, slugging .597 with a .922 OPS.

Carson Kelly, 30, has played for four MLB clubs since being a second-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. He slashed .238/.313/.374 in 313 plate appearances in 91 games split between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers this past season. He put up nine home runs and drove in 37 in his limited playing time.

One of the areas in which Kelly showed improvement this season was his plate discipline and contact skills. He cut down on his chase rate and improved his aggressiveness in the zone, lowering his strikeout rate to 17.6 percent from 26.5 percent in 2023 — even better than his career rate of 20.4 percent.

Despite Atkins' insistence that adding another catcher isn't a priority, per MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, he should take a good long look at what's out there and see if he can get something done. While we'd love to see Jansen back in a Blue Jays uniform, both of these alternatives would provide a better option than Tyler Heineman to pair with Kirk next season.