Brandon Valenzuela has John Schneider looking smarter by the week, and the Blue Jays' trade with San Diego is already swinging hard in Toronto's favor.
That deal went down on July 31, 2025, when Toronto acquired Valenzuela from the Padres for infielder Will Wagner. At the time, it looked like a curious swap for 2 clubs trying to sort out young depth.
Now it looks a lot sharper for the Blue Jays. Valenzuela has been pushed into real big-league work, and Wagner has not given San Diego much reason to feel better about its side.
The Padres were already shaky behind the plate before the trade. Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado combined for a 71 wRC+ in 2025, which ranked 27th in MLB.
San Diego tried to patch that by moving Valenzuela out and adding Freddy Fermin. That catching makeover still has not fixed much.
Wagner, the player Toronto gave up, is hitting .260 with a .396 on-base percentage and a .377 slugging percentage at Triple-A El Paso. The patience is still there, but the power has slipped hard.
Last season, Wagner slugged .451 in his short Blue Jays run and carried that same .451 mark at Triple-A Buffalo before the trade. Since then, the extra-base damage has faded.
Why Brandon Valenzuela changed the trade fast
Valenzuela has become more than a depth catcher for Toronto. The 25-year-old switch-hitter made his MLB debut in April and is slashing .245/.343/.394 in 36 games.
That matters because Alejandro Kirk fractured his left thumb on April 7, which forced Valenzuela into a bigger role than the Blue Jays likely planned for this early. He has handled it.
The glove is a big part of that. The SI report says Statcast rates Valenzuela above average in framing and in controlling the running game, while blocking balls in the dirt is the only real weak spot so far.
Even there, the damage has barely shown. According to the same report, Valenzuela had not been charged with a passed ball yet.
Meanwhile, Fermin has not solved much for San Diego offensively. He is slashing .140/.241/.183, and Padres catchers have a combined 76 wRC+, only 20th in MLB.
That is why this trade is starting to look one-sided. Toronto got a catcher who is helping right now and comes with 6 years of club control, while San Diego moved a useful young backstop for a bat that still is not forcing its way back to the majors.
Did the Blue Jays clearly win the Brandon Valenzuela trade already?
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