The Toronto Blue Jays had the idea to trade catcher Danny Jansen for a starting pitcher, but a deal is no longer imminent after the club signed right-hander Chris Bassitt, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Toronto was reportedly expected to deal a backstop this offseason due to a strong surplus with Jansen, All-Star Alejandro Kirk, and top prospect Gabriel Moreno.
However, the team could keep all three, with Kirk getting at-bats as a designated hitter and Moreno starting the 2023 season in Triple-A, notes Feinsand.
Jansen, who's arbitration-eligible through 2024, and Kirk, who's under team control for four more campaigns, are both coming off a career year. Jansen went deep 15 times with an .855 OPS over 72 games, while Kirk slashed .285/.372/.415 with 14 homers across 139 contests.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Moreno hit .319 over 25 games in 2022 with the Blue Jays after being promoted to the majors.