danny jansen jays red sox

Danny Jansen reportedly rejected Blue Jays contract offer before trade

Toronto Blue Jays fans were not happy with management after learning that catcher Danny Jansen had been traded to the Boston Red Sox.

Jansen was a fan favourite throughout his seven seasons with the Blue Jays. Despite being a free agent at season's end, there was hope that he may stick around and sign a new deal. It seemed to make sense from management's perspective, as they had traded another backstop in Gabriel Moreno in December of 2022.

Despite all the anger directed towards management for the trade, they seemed to have the same mindset as fans when it came to keeping Jansen. A new report from Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith makes it seem as though general manager Ross Atkins and the rest of his staff hoped to keep Jansen around.

"The Blue Jays are believed to have offered Danny Jansen a multi-year extension before the season started, but clearly talks never got past the finish line," Nicholson-Smith wrote. "He was traded to the Red Sox ahead of the deadline."

There was nothing further as to whether this may have been Jansen feeling like he wasn't being offered enough money, or possibly just felt it was time for a change in scenery. Prior to the deal, the 27-year-old was hitting .212 with six home runs and 18 RBIs.

Jansen was one of several the Jays traded ahead of the deadline, as they moved out eight players in total. The Yusei Kikuchi and Isiah Kiner-Falefa deals in particular helped them add some solid prospects to their organization. They were also able to move out more than $55 million in contracts allowing them to fall below the league's luxury tax threshold.

With Jansen now out of the fold, Alejandro Kirk will be the main guy behind the plate, while Brian Serven will take over backup duties. In less than two years, a position in which the Jays had a luxury of riches has become a weak spot and may need to be upgraded in the offseason.

Lead photo by

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports


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