MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers added to their catching depth Monday by acquiring Tampa Bay Rays catcher Danny Jansen.
Jansen, 30, is an Appleton, Wisconsin, native who played parts of seven seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays before moving on to Boston and then Tampa Bay this year.
"I don't live too far," Jansen said. "That's going to be something that my wife and I had never experienced."
Jansen said he found out about the deal after meeting with manager Kevin Cash and president of baseball operations Erik Neander.
"I was getting ready to play the game, and I understand that side of baseball," Jansen said. "Just grateful for the time spent here with the guys."
Jansen hit .204 with 11 home runs in 73 games for the Rays. He'll add depth behind starter William Contreras and backup Eric Haase. He has a career OPS of .724.
Meanwhile, Contreras has been playing with a fractured middle finger on his catching hand all season. Jansen provides help in case Contreras has further issues.
Jansen was traded around the MLB trade deadline for the second straight season.
Toronto dealt him to Boston on July 24, 2024, and he wound up playing for both teams in a game at Fenway Park that was suspended June 26 and resumed two months later.
"Having gone through a trade last year will probably make this process a little bit easier for me going into a team as a catcher learning pitchers and all that," Jansen said. "So, looking forward to the challenge and task at hand with that. I think having a little bit of experience helps."
In the trade, Tampa Bay acquired minor league infielder Jadher Areinamo.
Areinamo batted .297 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs in 94 games for Single-A Wisconsin of the Midwest League and has appeared at third base, shortstop and second base. Last season, he hit .301 in 110 games for Wisconsin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
