Rangers sign $14.5 million free agent catcher to replace Jonah Heim

Rangers sign $14.5 million free agent catcher to replace Jonah Heim - Yahoo  Sports

The Texas Rangers made the choice earlier in the offseason to cut Jonah Heim loose.

It meant that the Rangers would have to seek out a new starting catcher in free agency, and now they’ve got their man.

The signing: Danny Jansen.

Jansen has signed a two-year deal for $14.5 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Jansen is a 30-year old catcher originally from Appleton, Wisconsin. The Blue Jays took him in the 16th round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of high school.

The righty hitter gained pretty solid acclaim as a prospect in the Toronto system and made his MLB debut in 2018. He played his first six-and-a-half seasons with the Blue Jays.

 

In his Toronto tenure, Jansen had a .733 OPS, hitting 71 home runs in 471 games.

He then spent half a season with the Boston Red Sox to end 2024.

In 2025, Jansen split the year between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers.

Jansen had an OPS of .703 with the Rays, then was pretty hot in limited duty with the Brewers, putting up a .779 OPS.

Now, Jansen gets to play for yet another team.

The Rangers now have their catcher depth chart set. They have Kyle Higashioka returning for the second season of his two-year contract signed last winter.

Jansen would likely be the favorite to win the job, but the Rangers can feel good that they have two reliable veterans on hand.

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