The Toronto Blue Jays lastly prolonged a younger a part of their core. It simply shouldn’t be the extension anybody was anticipating.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Blue Jays and catcher Alejandro Kirk agreed to a five-year, $58 million extension which features a $6 million signing bonus. He joins outfielder Anthony Santander and infielder Andres Jimenez as being beneath workforce management by way of the 2030 season.
Though Kirk has been unable to duplicate his All-Star 2022 season, he has been a strong a part of the Blue Jays lineup. Kirk posted a good .253/.319/.359 batting line in his 386 plate appearances in 2024, hitting 5 homers and 19 doubles.
Kirk has drawn rave critiques for his protection, notably concerning pitch framing and blocking pitches within the dust. He ranked second in the American League by throwing out 31% of would-be base stealers and saved six runs defensively.
The 26-year-old Kirk is coming into the 2025 season because the unquestioned major catcher in Toronto. Catchers Reese McGuire and Danny Jansen, each of whom Kirk had cut up time with, have left the group.
The Blue Jays have been trying to increase different items of their core. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has remained a precedence, with the Blue Jays hoping to lock in their star first baseman though his beforehand acknowledged deadline has handed.
Signing Kirk could possibly be one other step in that path. The Blue Jays have struggled to draw upper-echelon free brokers despite repeated attempts. Though Kirk shouldn’t be on the identical stratosphere that the Blue Jays had been purchasing, he is without doubt one of the higher catchers within the majors. And he has dedicated to staying in Toronto.
