Reports: Blue Jays C Alejandro Kirk agrees to 5-year extension

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk agreed to a five-year, $58 million contract extension with a $6 million signing bonus, multiple media outlets reported.

Kirk is due to make $4.6 million this season. Per MLB.com, this extension will buy out his final year of arbitration in 2026 and the four seasons that follow.

Kirk, 26, was due to hit free agency following the 2026 season.

“Kirky has elite mental attributes. Elite,” Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said. “He slows the game down as well as anybody I’ve seen. He reminds me of other great players I’ve seen. There’s almost nobody I can imagine I’d want to catch a (wicked) slider in the ninth inning with the tying run on third base, or be up at the plate. He’s just going to be (steady).”

Kirk’s role as the primary catcher was cemented when Danny Jansen was sent away at last summer’s trade deadline. Kirk batted. 253 with five homers and 54 RBIs in 103 games last season.

An All-Star in 2022, Kirk is hitting .264 with 36 homers and 187 RBIs in 434 career games with the Blue Jays.