Danny Jansen's return to the Rogers Centre tugs on the heartstrings of Blue Jays fans

When the Toronto Blue Jays were forced to be trade deadline sellers this year, their goal was a simple one: move everyone on an expiring contract. This included the likes of Kevin Kiermaier, Yusei Kikuchi, Justin Turner, Yimi Garcia and Trevor Richards to name a few.

The most notable rental being moved was long-time catcher Danny Jansen, who was shipped to Boston to join the division rival Red Sox. Mid-season trades involving catchers aren't all that rare, but it's probably the position traded the least, simply because of all of the adjustments pitching staffs and the catchers themselves have to make on the new team.

Jansen, 29, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2013 MLB Draft and debuted in the big leagues in 2018. He battled through a slew of injuries in each year since, appearing in 100+ games just one time, but he was a beloved figure on the Jays and, at the time of his trade, was the longest-tenured position player.

On Tuesday, the seven-year veteran made his return to the Rogers Centre as a member of the Red Sox. While the Blue Jays played a tribute video for him in Monday night's game, he did not start, instead riding the bench in favor of fellow backstop Connor Wong, Jansen did not appear in that game.

Danny Jansen receives well deserved ovation from Blue Jays crowd

Prior to his first at-bat on Tuesday, there was a massive standing ovation from the Rogers Centre crowd, as Blue Jays fans took their moment to show their former favorite catcher some love. Sometimes rivalries only go so far, as Jansen remains a well-liked figure even though he's on another AL East team.

Prior to the trade, Jansen hit .212 with a .672 OPS+ across 62 games for the Blue Jays. As of the conclusion of Tuesday night's game, he's hitting just .195 with a .645 OPS as a member of the Red Sox. Things haven't gone all that well for him in his new uniform, but the pending free agent is sure to have his fair share of suitors once he officially hits the open market.

Despite the fact that he's an oft-injured player, Jansen has a ton of pop in his bat and a glove that is decent but not great. Last year, he finished in the 63rd percentile in Blocks Above Average per Statcast, but he's in the 100th percentile this year. That's quite the improvement.

With Alejandro Kirk still under contract for a few more years, it's worth wondering if the Blue Jays consider a reunion with Jansen and go back to their Kirk-Jansen one-two punch that saw so much success in the not-so-distant past. It's clear that Brian Serven and Tyler Heineman aren't long-term cogs on this roster, so it's entirely possible that we see Jansen back where he belongs once the upcoming offseason commences.