It is the second straight season in which the Rangers have added a free agent catcher on a two-year contract. They signed Kyle Higashioka to a $13.5 million deal last winter. Jansen will receive an almost identical contract and will share playing time in 2026. Texas needed a catcher after non-tendering Jonah Heim after a second year in a row.
Jansen and Higashioka cannot compete with each other in a tight peloton. Both hit from the right side. Neither player has major platoon splits over the course of their careers. This allows Skip Schumaker to split playing time based on comfort with each day’s starting pitcher. Higashioka and Jansen are generally similar players, although the latter is the more patient hitter. That provides a slightly higher floor from a base perspective, even if neither player is likely to score a high average.
The right-hitting Jansen was an underrated all-around catcher early in his career with the Blue Jays. He performed well overall in limited playing time, but struggled to stay healthy for a full season. Jansen has avoided injuries the past two years, aside from a minor wrist fracture that cost him the first few weeks of the 2024 season. However, his production on both sides of the ball dipped that year, forcing him to sign an $8.5 million cushion contract with the Rays.
Jansen’s production rebounded to some extent in Tampa Bay. He hit .204/.314/.389 with 11 home runs over 259 plate appearances. It was at least a jump from a power perspective, as he hit two more home runs in that half-season than he had in 94 games in 2024. Tampa Bay dealt him to the Brewers at the deadline. While it was certainly a nice return home for the Appleton, Wisconsin native, it wasn’t an ideal landing spot a few months before free agency.
There’s more to come.
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