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Blue Jays claimed catcher Nick Raposo off waivers

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Ryley Delaney | Last updated Aug 1, 2024 7:18 PM ET

The fallout from the trade deadline continues.

A few days before Tuesday’s deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays traded catcher Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox, leading to them calling up Brian Serven, the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Well, that was until Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday, the Blue Jays claimed 26-year-old Nick Raposo from the St. Louis Cardinals, adding him to the 40-man roster and optioning him to Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays also optioned Paolo Espino, with left-handed reliever Ryan Yarbrough likely joining the team on Friday.

Blue Jays say they’ve claimed catcher Nick Raposo off waivers from Cardinals and optioned him to triple-A Buffalo.

They also optioned Paolo Espino to Buffalo. Opens up a roster spot for lefty Ryan Yarbrough, who is slated to join team tomorrow in New York.

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) August 1, 2024

Starting with Raposo, the catcher signed as an undrafted free agent after the five-round 2020 draft. He made his professional debut the following season with the Cardinals’ Double-A team, slashing .267/.368/.362 with one home run in 137 plate appearances. He spent the entirety of the 2022 season in Double-A, where he slashed .270/.345/.461 with seven home runs in 229 plate appearances, along with a 10 BB% and a 24 K% for a career-best 105 wRC+.

Raposo spent the 2023 season between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .241/.321/.386 with four home runs in 162 plate appearances, with a 9.9 BB% and a 15.4 K% for an 81 wRC+. In 2024, the 26-year-old has slashed .193/.251/.349 with seven home runs in 208 plate appearances, with a 7.2 BB% and a 21.6 K% for a 50 wRC+.

Nick Raposo!!! pic.twitter.com/WJ9pJa3KCE

— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 28, 2023

Espino made his first start of the season for the Jays on Wednesday, pitching four innings while giving up four earned runs. The last time the 37-year-old righty pitched for Toronto was all the way back on April 12.

Yarbrough, who the Blue Jays acquired from the Dodgers by trading Kevin Kiermaier, has a 3.74 ERA and a 5.17 FIP in 67.1 innings pitched this season. His 13.9 K% is a career worst, while his 8.9 BB% is the highest it has been. At this point, it’s believed that Yarbrough will eat innings for the out-of-contention Blue Jays.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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