Alejandro Kirk (27), a catcher from Mexico who caught for Ryu Hyun-jin (38, Hanwha Eagles) during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays, has secured an extension.

Major League Baseball's official website, MLB.com, reported on the 23rd (Korean time) that Kirk has agreed to a five-year, $58 million extension with Toronto. The contract features a signing bonus of $6 million and covers the years 2026 to 2030. Although Kirk could have become a free agent after next season, this extension allows him to spend his 20s with Toronto.

Toronto has prioritized locking up Kirk while it appears that the possibility of extending contracts with free agent first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Bo Bichette has declined as the season comes to a close. Kirk is an indispensable catcher for Toronto, which has traded away Danny Jansen (Tampa Bay Rays) and promising prospect Gabriel Moreno (Arizona Diamondbacks), both of whom were sharing catching duties.

Despite being only 173 cm tall and weighing 111 kg, Kirk has a stocky build. Since making his Major League debut in 2020, he has played 434 games with Toronto over five seasons, achieving a batting average of .264 (362 hits in 1,371 at-bats), 36 home runs, 187 RBIs, and an OPS of .735.

In 2022, he played in 139 games, recording a batting average of .285 (134 hits in 470 at-bats), 14 home runs, and 63 RBIs, earning his first All-Star selection and also receiving the American League (AL) Silver Slugger award.

While he stood out as an offensive catcher, his hitting performance has dropped slightly in the past two years, though his stability as a catcher has improved. His framing and blocking skills have noticeably improved, earning the trust of pitchers, and he has solidified his position as the starting catcher.

Known as 'Captain Kirk,' he is a player recognized for his leadership, which led Toronto to offer him an extension two seasons before he hits free agency. Should the team fail to retain Guerrero Jr. and Bichette as free agents, Kirk is expected to become the face of Toronto. If he can showcase his hitting productivity from 2022 again, this deal may prove beneficial for the franchise.

Kirk briefly teamed up with Ryu Hyun-jin when Ryu pitched for Toronto. Ryu primarily worked with Jansen as his 'designated catcher,' and paired with Kirk twice across a total of two games in 2022-2023. The two-game performance was not impressive, yielding 7 innings and allowing 7 earned runs with an ERA of 9.00.

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