Blue Jays Swing Trade For A New Catcher
With Alejandro Kirk still out for some time, and Brandon Valenzuela up with the big team, the Toronto Blue Jays have made a move to "MacGyver" their organizational catching depth by trading for... Willie MacIver.
OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired C Willie MacIver from the Rangers in exchange for cash considerations. MacIver has been optioned to Triple-A.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 24, 2026
INF Tyler Fitzgerald has been DFA’d. pic.twitter.com/ZaaXulLpa2
The Jays have swung a deal with the Texas Rangers for Willie MacIver, one day after he was designated for assignment. Toronto sends 'cash considerations' to Texas.
MacIver was not going to push past Danny Jansen or Kyle Higashioka in the Rangers' catching platoon.
He'll start his Blue Jays career with an assignment to Triple-A Buffalo. MacIver was at the Rangers' AAA affiliate at Round Rock, where he was batting just .170 in 60 plate appearances. But in a full 2025 season at Triple-A Las Vegas in the PCL, he batted .362 with a .967 OPS. The 29-year-old MacIver is basically a career minor-leaguer, having spent just 32 games in the majors, all last season with the Athletics.
As a Triple-A catcher, however, MacIver has proven himself. He has a career .858 OPS at that level with a .291 average, 26 homers and 142 RBIs in 215 games. We should note, however, that most of those numbers came in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, so we'll have to see how he does at Buffalo.
Valenzuela started the 2026 season with the Bisons, but was summoned after Toronto's starter behind the plate, Kirk, went down with a fractured thumb. He's expected to be out until at least the second half of May, so the depth was needed at Buffalo.
Photo: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
