DALLAS -- The Rays made it clear from the outset of the offseason that upgrading at catcher was going to be a priority. For all that¡¯s changed over the past two months, their ideal candidate has remained the same.

¡°Hypothetically, if we could draw up our perfect catcher for our 2025 team,¡± president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Monday afternoon, ¡°it would be one that has a solid track record offensively, that can help us against left-handed pitching, that complements our left-handed-hitting internal options, that has exceptional leadership and has lived through experiences that are not unlike what we are about to experience in 2025.

¡°That would be about how we¡¯d like to draw it up.¡±

At the time, Neander could only speak in general terms, as they hadn't officially signed anyone, but he was describing someone who sounded an awful lot like Danny Jansen. The Rays agreed to terms on Friday with the veteran catcher on a one-year contract that guarantees him $8.5 million. The deal was officially announced Thursday after Jansen passed his physical.

The 29-year-old Jansen satisfies all the criteria Neander listed.

? He has a solid track record offensively, having posted an .805 OPS (120 OPS+) with 43 homers and 125 RBIs for the Blue Jays from 2021-23. He¡¯s coming off a down year at the plate, as he hit just .205/.309/.349 in 91 games for the Jays and Red Sox, but even that would represent an improvement over the collective .194/.272/.291 slash line from Tampa Bay¡¯s catchers.

? He can help against left-handed pitching, as he hit .237/.372/.342 against southpaws last season. He¡¯s been better against right-handers over the course of his career, but he recorded an .826 OPS against lefties in 2022 and a .792 mark in ¡®23.

? The right-handed-hitting Jansen should complement the Rays¡¯ top returning left-handed-hitting catcher, Ben Rortvedt, and rookie Logan Driscoll.

? He¡¯s highly regarded for his makeup, as the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers¡¯ Association of America just named Jansen the John Cerutti Award recipient for ¡°displaying goodwill, cooperation and character.¡±

? And he has dealt with the unexpected shift from a Major League home stadium to a Minor League ballpark due to unforeseen circumstances. Forced out of Tropicana Field due to the damage caused by Hurricane Milton, the Rays will spend next season playing their regular-season home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa and don¡¯t have any clarity on where they¡¯ll be come ¡®26.

The Blue Jays couldn¡¯t play at Rogers Centre in Toronto for 2020 or much of the ¡®21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions. Jansen was part of the squad that spent the 2020 season at a Triple-A ballpark in Buffalo, N.Y., then spent roughly two months each at their Spring Training ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., back in Buffalo, then finally home to Toronto.

There is a benefit to finding players who have either been there and done that -- or are willing to lean into the unusual situation to find motivation.

¡°I do think it¡¯s really important. There¡¯s certainty for ¡®25 in terms of where we¡¯re playing, and we¡¯re focused on that,¡± Neander said on Day 1 of the Winter Meetings. ¡°With that, we¡¯ve got to try to find a way to galvanize our group around the circumstances and make the most of it. Having a clubhouse, having a group of players that can all get that, and appreciate it and turn it into something good is what we¡¯re after.

¡°Anyone we¡¯re looking to bring in now and we¡¯re investing in are people we¡¯re very, very confident will not only support that, but lead those efforts.¡±

Ideally, Jansen will help the Rays¡¯ production against left-handed pitchers and generally lengthen a lineup that scored only 604 runs this past season. As much as they prioritize defense, especially up the middle, they were willing to target a more offensive-minded player behind the plate -- much like they did when they traded Jose Siri and effectively handed the starting center field job to Jonny DeLuca.

What comes next for the Rays this offseason? They seem likely to trade a starting pitcher from their deep rotation, but that might be the only pressing order of business left.

Neander has spoken highly of the lineup¡¯s combination of established, productive veterans (like Yandy D¨ªaz and Brandon Lowe), bounce-back candidates (like Josh Lowe and Christopher Morel) and talented young players in need of an opportunity (like Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and DeLuca).

¡°We like the mix as it is right now,¡± Neander said. ¡°But we'll use the remaining couple of months to see if there's anything else that can help us further.¡±