Blue Jays release backup catcher

Whatley, who signed a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training back in February, never got his season off the ground after battling an injury and then being placed on the development list.

Now, he'll be able to showcase his talents for all 30 major league teams.

While it may seem surprising that the Blue Jays released a player from a position that is relatively thin on depth, its also possible that Whatley's contract contained a clause, like many contracts of these nature do.

However, it is also important to note that the Blue Jays have better catching depth than they used to, with both Ali Sanchez and Christian Bethancourt - two catchers with MLB experience - currently on the roster at Triple-A. Phil Clarke is also floating around as well.

Whatley was originally drafted in the third round by the Texas Rangers in 2017 out of Oral Roberts University. While he showed some promise early on, his development stalled and he had been in stuck in Triple-A Round Rock since 2022.

He signed on with the Jays this winter in the hopes of turning his fortunes around but it was not meant to be.

Teams will often sign catchers - much like pitchers - as low-risk depth options to provide protection against injury. This could still happen for Whatley though, at 29, he is probably short on time.

Having yet to reach the major leagues, Whatley has a .221/.315/.327 slash line with five home runs and 32 RBIs in a seven year minor league career.