TORONTO, ON – JULY 02: Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) is seen before an MLB game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays on July 2, 2025, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Toronto Blue Jays entered the season hoping Alejandro Kirk would carry his momentum from last season and provide a powerful presence in the middle of the batting order. Instead, his absence early in the year forced the club to lean on its catching depth, including veteran backstop Tyler Heineman, who became the primary option in his third stint with the team.
But as Kirk prepared to return from injury, young backstop Brandon Valenzuela emerged as the team’s most productive hitter in a short debut, raising the question about what the Blue Jays might do to clear room for the return of their All-Star.
“Heineman was a revelation for the Jays last year, posting a .777 OPS and 1.9 bWAR in 61 games as Kirk’s backup,” Mitch Bannon wrote for The Athletic as Kirk neared his return in early June. “But in giving Valenzuela 102 at-bats to Heineman’s 64 over the last month, the Jays are telling us which backstop they think is better right now. The calculus, though, might be more complex than that.”
Ultimately, Toronto moved on from Heineman, sending him to the Los Angeles Angels. And now the veteran catcher has opened up about the difficult circumstances surrounding the move.
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Heineman’s departure was not entirely unexpected. After Toronto activated Kirk from the injured list, the Blue Jays designated Heineman for assignment on June 12. Five days later, he was traded to the Angels for cash considerations.
The move came as Heineman struggled offensively and Valenzuela surged. He hit just .154/.205/.205 with one home run and six RBI across 31 games in 2026.
“(General manager) Ross (Atkins) called me and told me, you know, ‘Hey, we’re going to try and trade you in a 48-hour window and then we’ll put you on waivers if so and then hopefully you clear and then you’re here with us but for your career I hope, you know, you don’t clear,’” Heineman revealed during a recent appearance on the 6ix Inning podcast.
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Heineman also made clear that he understands why Kirk’s return changed the equation.
“So, it sucks. It’s a crappy situation, but I’ve been there before,” Heineman added on the podcast. “Kirky’s the guy, so when he was coming back from his thumb, you know, the writing’s kind of on the wall… I didn’t perform the way I feel like I could perform and it’s been like that the entire year and it’s been frustrating for me.”
That perspective is important because Heineman’s comments were not simply about losing his job. He had spent much of the previous season establishing himself as a dependable complement to Kirk, only to see his own struggles coincide with Kirk’s return.