The Rays and Brewers introduced a commerce sending catcher Danny Jansen from Tampa Bay to Milwaukee in trade for infield prospect Jadher Areinamo. The Rays are together with some money to assist pay down the remaining $2.667MM on Jansen’s one-year, $8MM contract. It’s a homecoming for Jansen, who’s a local of Appleton, Wisconsin. The Rays’ adjustments behind the plate don’t cease there, as they’re reportedly in settlement to accumulate Marlins catcher Nick Fortes in a separate commerce (full breakdown on that swap out there right here).
Catching wasn’t a distinguished want for the Brewers coming into the season. William Contreras has emerged as among the finest backstops within the sport, slashing .283/.363/.472 from 2022-24. His once-panned protection has improved to premium ranges in Milwaukee. Nonetheless, Contreras has been enjoying by way of a fracture in his left center finger and struggled significantly on the dish this season, slashing simply .242/.342/.340 this season. Backup catcher Eric Haase hasn’t picked up the slack with the bat. Over the previous month, Contreras and Haase have mixed to hit .228/.294/.289.
Because the Brewers’ catchers have struggled to growing ranges, Jansen has picked up the tempo. He’s hitting simply .204/.314/.389 on the season general, however that’s dragged down by a brutal begin to the yr. Since Could 11, he’s batting .232/.321/.486 in 163 journeys to the plate.
Notably, whereas Jansen is hitting solely .197 in opposition to lefties, he’s nonetheless getting on base in opposition to them at a giant .356 clip and slugging .465 versus southpaws. Contreras is hitting .223/.373/.266 in opposition to lefties on the season. Haase is batting solely .160/.192/.280 in his 26 plate appearances in opposition to left-handers. Jansen struggled in opposition to lefties mightily early in his profession however has above-average on-base and energy numbers in opposition to them every year since 2022. In that point, he’s slashing .216/.344/.442 when holding the platoon benefit
Jansen has graded as a plus defender prior to now, however his framing and throwing grades have dwindled in recent times. Milwaukee has a knack for vastly enhancing catcher protection — framing specifically — which might bode nicely for a Jansen rebound in that regard. He’ll presumably transfer right into a timeshare behind the plate with Contreras, who’s penciled into tonight’s Brewers lineup. That might spell the tip of Haase’s time on the roster, however it’s actually potential the Brewers will carry three catchers or that they’ll give Contreras some prolonged downtime to permit his ailing left hand to heal.
Areinamo, 21, was an beginner signee out of Venezuela in the course of the 2021-22 worldwide signing interval. Baseball America ranked him tenth amongst Milwaukee prospects on their newest midseason replace of the system. He sat seventeenth at FanGraphs in mid-Could and is at the moment twenty fourth at MLB.com.
Although he’s primarily been a shortstop in Excessive-A this season, Areinamo has extra expertise at second base than at brief. He’s additionally dabbled on the scorching nook. He’s turned in a .297/.355/.463 batting line in 415 plate appearances and popped 11 house runs on the yr. Areinamo additionally has 24 doubles, a pair of triples and 15 stolen bases — albeit in 23 tries (65.2% success charge).
Scouting studies on Areinamo tout his plus hit software however query an overaggressive method that could possibly be uncovered as he strikes up the ladder and faces extra superior pitching. Accordingly, he’s fanned in simply 11.6% of his plate appearances in what’s his second run by way of the Excessive-A degree. Listed at simply 5’8″ and 160 kilos, Areinamo unsurprisingly possesses what scouts really feel is below-average energy. He has an opportunity to turn into an on a regular basis choice at second base, the place his common arm profiles higher than it does on the left facet of the infield. He might additionally wind up being a contact-oriented utilityman who bounces between a number of positions.
Espn’s Jeff Passan first reported that the Rays and Brewers have been finalizing a Jansen commerce. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Occasions reported that the deal was completed and that the Rays have been within the means of including one other catcher. Mlb.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that Areinamo was the prospect return for the Rays and that Tampa Bay was together with some money within the swap.
