1 week agoThe Toronto Blue Jays and catcher
Alejandro Kirk agreed to a five-year, $58 million contract extension on Saturday. The 5-foot-8 backstop has been with the Jays' organization ever since he broke at 18 years old back in 2017 and will now be with Toronto through his age-30 season. The 2022 All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner puts the bat on the ball well, recording an 86.1 percent career contact rate and a low 11.5 percent strikeout rate, but it doesn't translate to much else, especially for fantasy. The 26-year-old has seen the counting stats dwindle since his All-Star season, finishing with five home runs, 54 RBI, and only 23 runs scored in 103 games last season. He's having a nice spring, though, slashing .302/.354/.465 with a pair of home runs and eight RBI, so perhaps he can carry that momentum into the regular season. Still, he's the 21st catcher coming off the board in drafts and has little upside, so he's really only viable in deeper and two-catcher leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Robert Murray
1 month agoAccording to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Toronto Blue Jays catcher
Alejandro Kirk is set to see an increased workload behind the dish during the 2025 campaign. With the team parting ways with
Danny Jansen, who is now in Tampa Bay, Kirk stands alone at the top of the depth chart. Toronto manager John Schneider noted that this is the "best" version of Kirk the team has seen. Last season, Kirk logged 103 starts. Across this stint, the 26-year-old held a .253/.319/.359 line with five home runs. He showed a strong eye at the plate with a 13.2 percent strikeout rate, placing him in the 95th percentile. In addition, Kirk is an excellent defender behind the dish as he placed in the 97th percentile in caught stealing above average and the 93rd percentile in framing. Fantasy managers in two-catcher formats should consider taking a flier on Kirk late in drafts as he should see the vast majority of starts in 2025.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Keegan Matheson
8 months agoToronto Blue Jays second baseman/outfielder
Davis Schneider and catcher
Alejandro Kirk are out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the visiting Oakland Athletics. Rookie
Spencer Horwitz is starting at second base and batting cleanup, and rookie
Addison Barger is in left field and in the eight-hole against A's right-hander
Osvaldo Bido.
Brian Serven is doing the catching and is batting ninth. Horwitz, who has handled himself nicely in 52 games in his second major-league season, is obviously the most attractive DFS option on Saturday over Barger and Serven. He hit his fifth home run of the year on Friday night and has hit a strong .282 (50-for-177) with a .793 OPS, 20 RBI and 24 runs scored in 2024. Barger, meanwhile, has struggled to the tune of a .189/.223/.322 slash line in the first 90 at-bats of his big-league career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Toronto Blue Jays
8 months agoToronto Blue Jays catcher
Alejandro Kirk (elbow) is back in the starting nine on Saturday afternoon as the Blue Jays continue a series against their division rival New York Yankees. The backstop was kept out of the lineup over the past few days due to a minor elbow injury. This is a great sign as the 25-year-old began to heat up at the plate, carrying an excellent .321/.344/.377 line since July 1. Overall, through 59 games this season, Kirk has had a down season with a modest .239/.305/.321 line, but he might have begun to turn the corner. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Kirk's progress, as he should be in line to see the majority of starts behind the dish in Toronto since the Blue Jays shipped
Danny Jansen to the Red Sox. DFS players should take a look at Kirk this afternoon as he will bat in the cleanup spot and will face Yankee southpaw
Carlos Rodon, who has carried a 4.05 ERA in July.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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