The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired catcher Nick Raposo from the St. Louis Cardinals via waivers and assigned him to Triple-A Buffalo. Additionally, right-handed pitcher Paolo Espino has also been sent to Triple-A Buffalo to clear a roster spot for left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, who was acquired in a trade with the Dodgers involving four-time Gold Glove outfielder Kevin Kiermaier.
Raposo, who played this season with the Memphis Redbirds, the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate, has recorded seven home runs, 28 RBIs, 15 walks, and a .193 batting average. He was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on July 29 to make room for new additions, including pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder/designated hitter Tommy Pham. Despite a challenging season, Raposo’s previous performances in high school and college baseball showed significant promise. He was drafted by the Cardinals in June 2020.
ROSTER MOVES:
🔹 C Nick Raposo claimed off waivers from the Cardinals and optioned to Triple-A
🔹 RHP Paolo Espino optioned to Triple-A pic.twitter.com/1rD5wK0r5m
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 1, 2024
Raposo is set to join Triple-A Buffalo by August 6. His recent standout performance on April 26, when he was named Player of the Game with Memphis, and his potential as a young player (26 years old) offer the Blue Jays added depth in the catching position following the trade of Danny Jansen to the Red Sox. Raposo, who has also played as a designated hitter, showed strong performance metrics in 2022, including a chase rate under 25%.
