The Toronto Blue Jays traded catcher Tyler Heineman to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations, the teams announced.
Heineman, who will turn 35 on Friday, was designated for assignment by Toronto last week after Alejandro Kirk returned from the injured list.
The veteran backstop was a key piece of Toronto's 2025 AL pennant-winning club as Kirk's backup, hitting a career-best .289/.361/.416 with three homers and 20 RBIs over 174 plate appearances last year.
However, that magic wore off quickly in 2026. Heineman failed to take hold of the everyday catching job after Kirk fractured his thumb in early April and was benched by manager John Schneider after an unproductive at-bat in May. The emergence of rookie Brandon Valenzuela ultimately made Heineman and his .410 OPS expendable.
He'll join an AL-worst Angels team that was in need of depth behind the plate. Los Angeles had just two catchers - Logan O'Hoppe and Logan Porter - on its active and 40-man rosters before Wednesday's trade. Heineman can back up O'Hoppe immediately, allowing Porter - a 30-year-old rookie with three minor-league options remaining - to return to Triple-A.
The Blue Jays still have some extra catching behind Kirk and Valenzuela on the 40-man roster in veteran Willie MacIver, who was purchased from the Texas Rangers in April and is playing in Triple-A. MacIver has two options left.
Heineman is a lifetime .226/.303/.306 hitter across parts of seven big-league seasons with five teams, including three separate stints in Toronto.
