Toronto Blue Jays Lose Depth Catcher to New York Mets' Waiver Claim
The Toronto Blue Jays' lost catcher Tyler Heineman to a waiver claim from the New York Mets on Friday afternoon.
Per Mets' reporter Anthony Dicomo of MLB.com:
The Mets have claimed a pair of catchers on waivers: Cooper Hummel and Tyler Heineman.
The Mets also claimed catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel from the Seattle Mariners on Friday.
Heineman has played parts of four years in the big leagues with the Marlins, Giants, Pirates and Blue Jays. Lifetime, he's a .218 hitter with one home run and 15 RBI. He got into 19 games for Toronto in 2023, registering three RBI and posting a .432 on-base percentage.
There was no official word that he was even on waivers, but he was likely expendable given that the Blue Jays already have Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk there to do the catching duties.
Heineman made his debut with the Marlins in 2019. He was drafted by the Astros in the eighth round of the 2012 draft. He's now 32 years old and will turn 33 next season.
The Blue Jays made the playoffs for the second consecutive year in 2023 but were swept in the American League wild card round by the Minnesota Twins.
Toronto is making headlines nationally this week because they are reportedly a surprise entrant into the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes. It was thought all along that Ohtani wanted to play for the Dodgers, but the Jays' appear to be a real threat for his services.
The Winter Meetings begin in Nashville on Monday.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
