Kevin Pillar, Mitch Bannon and Ricky Romero respond to backlash of their comments about Alejandro Kirk being one of the Blue Jays best trade chips.

The catcher reposted photos from the trip on his Instagram story, featuring his wife, Sofia Castañeda, and their daughter, Emilia.

The trade chatter came from an Oct. 11 Blue Bird Territory clip featuring Mitch Bannon, Kevin Pillar and Ricky Romero. Bannon later clarified that all three agreed the Jays should keep Kirk.

The production backs that up. Kirk posted a 114 wRC+ in 2026, topping his career mark of 111.

He did it while missing more than two months. In 79 games, he hit .278 with a .351 on-base percentage.

The plate discipline stands out for a catcher. He walked 33 times against just 38 strikeouts.

A cheap contract and October pedigree make Kirk untouchable

October is part of his resume. He hit five home runs in the 2025 postseason, tying the most by a catcher in a single playoff run.

One of those was a go-ahead, three-run shot in Game 3 of the World Series.

The glove matters, too. In 2025, he tied for third in MLB with 21 Fielding Run Value and led all catchers in blocks above average.

Then there's the money. Toronto signed him to a five-year, $58 million extension in March 2025, covering 2026 through 2030.

Why would anyone move that? A 27-year-old two-time All-Star catcher on that deal is exactly the kind of asset rebuilding teams dream about and contenders keep.

Trading him would be the worst move Toronto could make this winter. The offence was one of baseball's worst, and Kirk was one of the few bats that actually worked.

Moving him to fix the lineup is like tearing out a load-bearing wall to make the living room bigger. You get more space for about a minute.

Enjoy the parks, Alejandro. The Jays need him back behind the plate in March, and if Ross Atkins takes any calls on him, they should be short ones.