Blue Jays acquire catcher in trade with Rangers

The Toronto Blue Jays announced a trade on Friday, as they acquired catcher Willie MacIver from the Texas Rangers.

“OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired C Willie MacIver from the Rangers in exchange for cash considerations. MacIver has been optioned to Triple-A. INF Tyler Fitzgerald has been DFA’d,” the Blue Jays announced.

The Blue Jays have dealt with some injury concerns this season, so adding depth certainly is not a bad idea. Overall, it has been an up and down season for the Blue Jays. Toronto is currently in fourth place in the American League East division with a 10-14 record.

The addition of MacIver gives the team necessary depth at the catcher position. MacIver, 29, has appeared in a total of 33 games at the MLB level in his career, something he did in 2025 with the Athletics. He hit just .186 across 102 at-bats, however.

He has spent the 2026 season in the Rangers’ organization at the Triple-A level. While he has struggled in 14 games played, MacIver is still a catcher who can make an impact.

It will be interesting to see if he ends up receiving an opportunity in MLB with Toronto anytime soon. He is set to begin his Blue Jays career in Triple-A. MacIver could receive a big league promotion at some point down the road if he performs well.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are hosting the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night in the first contest of a three-game series. Cleveland leads the American League Central, so it could be a challenging series for Toronto.