Blue Jays Option Catcher Valenzuela to Triple-A Buffalo, Reassign Five Others

Brandon Valenzuela put together one of the stronger springs among Toronto's catching corps, but a .848 OPS and one home run across 11 Grapefruit League games wasn't enough to crack the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster. Toronto optioned the 25-year-old switch-hitter to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday and sent five additional players to minor-league camp as the club continued trimming its roster with the regular season roughly a week away.

Catchers Robert Brooks and infielders Rafael Lantigua, Riley Tirotta, Carlos Mendoza, and Josh Rivera joined Valenzuela in heading back to the minors. None of the five are on Toronto's 40-man roster, a distinction that separates their situations from Valenzuela's.

Valenzuela arrived in Toronto at the 2025 trade deadline, acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Will Wagner swap. The Blue Jays liked him enough to add him to the 40-man roster after the postseason, shielding him from December's Rule 5 Draft. He repaid that investment with a productive spring, slashing .304/.370/.478 in 27 plate appearances. His defense behind the plate remains his calling card, and with Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman slated as Toronto's primary catchers, Valenzuela figures to be the first call if either misses time during the season.

Among the five reassigned players, Tirotta drew the most attention as a prospect worth watching. The 2021 12th-round pick posted 12 home runs in 116 games at Triple-A last season and backed that up with a .226/.351/.452 slash line, two home runs, and four doubles across 20 Spring Training games in 37 plate appearances. His ability to play first base, third base, and right field adds value, though some swing-and-miss remains a concern before any future callup materializes.

Lantigua and Mendoza both signed minor-league deals this offseason that included spring training invitations. Lantigua, whose best season came in 2023 when he slashed .305/.425/.469 with 12 home runs in 578 plate appearances for Triple-A Buffalo, built on that reputation with a .367/.457/.400 line in 35 spring at-bats. Mendoza was arguably the most intriguing of the group, coming off a career-best 137 wRC+ in the Detroit Tigers system last season, where he hit .287/.394/.409 with seven home runs in 407 plate appearances over 97 games. His spring numbers were even sharper: .412/.524/.471 in 21 plate appearances. Like Lantigua and Tirotta, Mendoza's multi-position versatility keeps his name in the conversation for a roster spot later in 2026.

Brooks, who came to the organization as an independent league free agent in 2024, received just eight plate appearances this spring, hitting .286/.375/.286. His 2025 numbers at Double-A New Hampshire, where he slashed .135/.218/.220 with two home runs in 142 plate appearances, reflect the developmental gap he still needs to close.

Rivera, also acquired by the organization in 2024, was reassigned without publicized spring statistics.

The Blue Jays now hold their most experienced Triple-A depth option in Valenzuela on standby in Buffalo, positioned to move quickly if the catching situation in Toronto demands it.