Veteran backstop Danny Jansen and the Rays have agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Friday. The deal, first reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and Robert Murray of FanSided, includes a joint option for 2026 with a $500,000 buyout. The team has not confirmed it.

Jansen played 91 games last season for the Blue Jays and Red Sox, who acquired him in a trade from Toronto in late July. He hit .205 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs over 324 plate appearances.

But even though his offense faltered in 2024, Jansen was the best blocking catcher in the majors. According to Statcast, he led all catchers with +15 blocks above average.

And Jansen was an above-average offensive catcher for the Blue Jays in each of the three seasons prior to 2024. He had 11 home runs and a 105 OPS+ in 2021, 15 home runs and a 142 OPS+ in 2022, and 17 home runs and a 114 OPS+ in 2023.

That’s an average of 14 home runs per year and an OPS+ of 120 – meaning Jansen was 20 percent better than a league-average hitter over those three seasons. Jansen will try to reach this level again in 2025.

Jansen was the youngest catcher on the market this winter as he begins his age-30 season in 2025. He and Carson Kelly were the only free agent catchers still in their 20s last season.

Jansen was originally selected by Toronto in the 16th round of the draft in 2013 and has spent seven seasons in the majors. He is a career .220 hitter with 74 home runs and 220 RBIs in 501 games.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays played a game last season that began on June 26th, was suspended due to rain and continued on August 26th. Jansen started the game as a catcher for Toronto, then was traded to the Red Sox and played the rest of the game for Boston after it resumed.