The Toronto Blue Jays have added some depth to their roster during their series against the Kansas City Royals.
Toronto got back to .500 on Friday and remains 1 game back of a Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays are chasing down the Cleveland Guardians for the final playoff spot.
Toronto enters play on Saturday with a record of 71-71.
Toronto Blue Jays Claim Veteran Catcher Off Waivers
During Toronto’s series against the Mets, it was revealed that the team added a veteran catcher.
Blue Jays insider Arden Zwelling revealed that Toronto claimed catcher Shawn Ross off waivers from the New York Mets during their series against the Royals.
Ross has been optioned to triple-A Buffalo
“The Blue Jays have claimed catcher Shawn Ross off waivers from the New York Mets. Ross has been optioned to triple-A Buffalo,” Zwelling wrote on X.
Ross was DFA’d by the Mets on Sept. 3 and has now been claimed by the Blue Jays, who needed some Triple-A catching depth. They dealt Tyler Heineman to the Los Angeles Angels and lost Willie MacIver off waivers to the Seattle Mariners.
Ross made his professional debut in 2023, as he originally signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had his contract selected this year and appeared in 2 games before being DFA’d and claimed by the Mets. He didn’t appear in a game for New York as he spent his time in Triple-A.
The 26-year-old catcher hit .200 with 1 home run and 2 RBIs in 5 at-bats in the MLB this season. In the minors this year, he’s hitting .184 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs.
Ross adds some much-needed catching depth to the organization and is now the third catcher on the 40-man roster, alongside Alejandro Kirk and Brandon Valenzuela.
Toronto Right Now
The Blue Jays are back in playoff contention and got back to .500 with a 9-1 win on Friday.
Toronto is playing much better baseball as of late, and fan-favorite Ernie Clement believes they are showing how good they are.
“We’re gritty as hell,” said Clement. “If we go down early, we’re not afraid to come back. Right now, we’re punching first, which is something I don’t think we had done early in the season. …
“We’re a really good baseball team. It was only a matter of time before things started clicking and we started playing our game, figured out our team identity, figured out our lineup. There’s been so many moving pieces throughout the whole year. It’s nice to finally have a solid grasp on who we are.”
The Blue Jays are 71-71 and 1 game back of a playoff spot. Toronto will continue its road series against the Royals on Saturday with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Blue Jays Acquire 4-Year Catcher From Mets During Royals Series