Could the Blue Jays improve by dealing from their catching depth? Let’s make a

This offseason has already brought significant changes to the Blue Jays roster. And more could be coming.

The Blue Jays traded Teoscar Hernández to the Seattle Mariners for right-handed reliever Erik Swanson and pitching prospect Adam Macko. Though he wasn’t Toronto’s only trade chip. The Blue Jays also have an abundance of high-end catching depth with three catchers who could all reasonably be starters on many other teams.

Alejandro Kirk, 24, was an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2022 and hit .285/.372/.415 with 14 HR and a 129 wRC+. Danny Jansen, 27, tapped into his power, hitting .260/.339/.516, with 15 HR and 140 wRC+ in 72 games, after several injuries sent him to the IL. Gabriel Moreno, 22, is Toronto’s top prospect and projects as a future All-Star.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins has maintained the team is comfortable carrying three catchers on its major-league roster next year, but remains open to discussing trade scenarios. With the free-agent catching market fairly thin this winter, the Blue Jays may find themselves in an advantageous position with their extra catcher.

“There are teams that are extremely interested in all three of them,” Atkins said. “If we are to entertain that, we’re going to have to think about what that means for our major-league team and we’re entirely focused on winning, so having that depth right now, a lot of energy and effort is focused on what that means with all three of them here. But with the amount of interest that teams do have in each of them, we have to at least answer the phone and think about what that means if there are other potential avenues to cover other areas.”

(Danny Jansen: G Fiume/Getty Images)

Toronto’s three catchers are at different stages of their careers, opening up a multitude of trade possibilities. Jansen is two years away from free agency, and might better suit a team looking for an experienced catcher for the short term. The return for Jansen presumably wouldn’t be as significant as one involving the younger catchers. Kirk comes with four years of team control, yet he’s proven at the MLB level. Moreno has only played 25 MLB games, but he comes with the upside that accompanies shiny prospects.

As for what the Blue Jays are looking for, they have an opening in the outfield that ideally is filled by a left-handed bat. Second base is also a position they could upgrade. And, like every team, the Blue Jays could also add more young impact pitching.

Do the Blue Jays have to trade one of their catchers this offseason? No, they won’t force it. It might also depend on what they can get done in free agency. But using an organizational strength to fill other pressing needs might be the best use of it, especially if their payroll is getting tighter.

With that in mind, I canvassed The Athletic beat writers covering catcher-starved teams to draw up their best hypothetical trade offers for one of Toronto’s coveted backstops.

What follows are…