Blue Jays claim catcher off waivers from the Cardinals

The MLB trade deadline has passed, but the Toronto Blue Jays are still making moves.

The Blue Jays announced just minutes ago on X that they have claimed catcher Nick Raposo off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals. Following the claim, they optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo.

The Jays also announced that pitcher Paolo Espino was optioned to Triple-A. He was given the start yesterday against the Baltimore Orioles, but faired poorly, giving up four earned runs over four innings.

ROSTER MOVES:

🔹 C Nick Raposo claimed off waivers from the Cardinals and optioned to Triple-A

🔹 RHP Paolo Espino optioned to Triple-A pic.twitter.com/1rD5wK0r5m

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 1, 2024

Raposo has yet to appear in the MLB in his professional career. The 26-year-old has appeared in 58 games with Memphis Triple-A this season, hitting just .193 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs.

Though Raposo is said to be very solid behind the plate, this move is nothing more than an insurance one for the Jays. They currently have a catching duo of Alejandro Kirk and Brian Severn following Saturday’s trade that sent Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox. It was reported earlier today that the Jays had offered Jansen a contract before the 2024 season began, but the deal ultimately fell through.

Due to their 50-59 record, the Blue Jays chose to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline and did plenty of that. They moved eight players in total, with Yimi Garcia, Nate Pearson, Justin Turner, Yusei Kikuchi, Trevor Richards, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Kevin Kiermaier, and, of course, Jansen, in just a matter of days.

Despite the heavy selling, the Blue Jays intend to get back to being a playoff team in 2025, which resulted in them holding onto some of their highly valued players with terms left on their deals such as Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt. In the meantime, they’ll play out the final 53 games of their 2024 season, where one of their newest additions, Joey Loperfido, should see plenty of playing time.

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