TAMPA, Fla. -- Without mentioning Danny Jansen by name at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, president of baseball operations Erik Neander described the veteran backstop as the Rays’ “perfect catcher” for next season.
Jansen sees it as an ideal pairing for both sides.
“I definitely just felt like it was the perfect fit for me here,” Jansen said. “I spoke to some other teams, but it just felt like the right fit.”
Jansen agreed to terms with Tampa Bay last week, completed his physical exam on Wednesday and officially joined the Rays on Thursday, filling out their 40-man roster. The 29-year-old reportedly passed up multiyear guarantees elsewhere in favor of a one-year contract that guarantees him $8.5 million, with an $8 million salary for next season and a $12 million mutual option that can be bought out for $500,000.
"The Rays have always been a playoff team, as long as I've played them,” Jansen said during a conference call on Thursday afternoon. “It just seems like an exciting group to be a part of instead of having to figure out how to get them out. It's going to be exciting.”
Jansen has long admired Tampa Bay from afar, having only played for Toronto before being traded within the American League East to Boston last July. He also received rave reviews about the Rays from former Blue Jays teammate Kevin Kiermaier.
The Rays have had a chance to appreciate Jansen up close over the years, too. And what they heard about his reputation as a teammate was reinforced by a recent meeting with Neander, manager Kevin Cash, Jansen and his wife, Alexis.
Jansen said it stood out that the Rays came to visit him near his home outside Chicago. Their willingness to meet with him in person, plus the conversation they had over breakfast at a local restaurant, left a strong impression.
"No doubt, that was a cool feeling. It made us feel good,” Jansen said. “Them coming out and meeting us and seeing them in person, it was the feeling of being super wanted."
As soon as the season ended, the Rays made it clear they needed to get more production from their catchers. They expect to pair Jansen with Ben Rortvedt, one of the few teammates Jansen already knew as a fellow catcher from Wisconsin.
After getting so little out of their catchers most of this past season, the Rays hope Jansen -- who has a history of producing above-average offensive numbers before a step back heading into free agency -- will join Rortvedt to lengthen their lineup while also providing strong defense behind the plate.
"I've always appreciated watching him from the Toronto dugout or, recently, the Boston dugout. He goes about his business the right way. He's a pro,” Cash said of Jansen during the Winter Meetings. “I've had some conversations with him that I really enjoyed.
“I'd like to think that … he's going to really add to our production on the field. And having talked to him, I know he'll add to our clubhouse dynamic.”
Jansen is uniquely qualified to jump right in as a leadership figure in the Rays’ clubhouse, considering he’s one of a few players who can relate to the challenges they’ll face spending next season at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ Spring Training and Single-A ballpark. With the Blue Jays, Jansen spent the 2020 season playing at a Triple-A ballpark in Buffalo and split the following season between Dunedin and Buffalo, before finishing the year back in Toronto.
"If anybody's done it or used to it, I guess it's me, right?” Jansen said. “It's definitely going to add adversity, no doubt. … The only way to do it is just to own it and take it head on, right? That's going to be our home ballpark. It's going to be outdoors, and the heat of the summer might be a little tough and gritty, but so be it.”
Cash acknowledged the Rays won’t have to go through quite as much as the Blue Jays did while bouncing around ballparks outside their home country during a pandemic, but he does expect Jansen will be a helpful sounding board for his new teammates.
"We're going to have our fans. I'd like to think a lot of them are there showing up for us,” Cash said. “He is going to be a guy that potentially we could lean on for some of the experiences that he went through, and I'm all ears. We will all be all ears.”