Blue Jays add catching depth, claim backstop from Cardinals on waivers
So the Blue Jays are active once again following their busy trade deadline, this time adding a catcher
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With the recent departure of Danny Jansen to Boston, the Toronto Blue Jays were already starting to get quite thin in terms of catching options for the club. But after seeing Alejandro Kirk leave Tuesday’s game with a left elbow contusion as well, it quickly raised alarm bells that something needed to be done soon to help rectify the situation.
On Thursday, the Jays addressed their glaring need immediately by claiming catcher Nick Raposo off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals. Raposo became available after he was recently designated for assignment and moved off the 40-man roster by the Cardinals to open up spots for their newly-acquired trade deadline pieces in pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham. In joining the Jays, he will provide valuable catching depth for the organization, as he was subsequently optioned to Triple-A Buffalo shortly after.
Raposo had been part of the Cardinals’ minor league system since 2021 after signing as an undrafted free agent back in 2020 with the club. In 199 career games in the minors, he has amassed a .241 batting average with a .712 OPS, along with 98 runs scored, 38 doubles, 19 home runs, 87 RBI, 71 walks and 152 strikeouts. Defensively, he has also been quite solid, posting a .990 fielding percentage while registering a 24% caught-stealing rate in 159 games in the catching position.
At just 26 years old, Raposo still has plenty of time to salvage his baseball career, given the solid numbers he has put up in the minors both offensively and defensively to date. All he really needs now is that opportunity to showcase his talents. Raposo might just get that chance now, with the Jays clearly short in catching options as they play out the 2024 season. The Jays’ current focus in the final two months likely involves evaluating what they have currently in their system and determining whether they can be key pieces that could help for the future. So can Raposo be a piece of that winning puzzle? Only time will tell.