Over the past couple of weeks, there has been some talk about the catcher position around the Red Sox organization. Some positions like first and right field seem to have players locked into the positions for the entire season. For the Sox, catcher is not one of those.
The starter at the beginning of the season was Carlos Narvaez, but since Roman Anthony’s injury, Mickey Gasper has seemed to be the guy, playing in 24 of the 35 games since being called up (despite only ten of those being the actual catcher). Then there’s Connor Wong, who was beginning to be listed in trade rumors a couple weeks ago. Regardless of who is playing there, Boston has a crowded catcher room. So how does this get solved? What should happen to each catcher?
Starting Catcher: Mickey Gasper*
As mentioned, Narvaez was the one who started out at catcher on Opening Day. But as of recent, especially with a management change who oversaw Gasper in Triple-A Worcester, he’s been getting a lot of playing time since being called up. Despite having a fielding percentage of 1.000, he is probably not seen as the best catcher on the team defensively. He’s 2-9 on the year for runners caught stealing. But he’s on the team for his offense.
He’s not the biggest power guy, despite almost getting a couple in Tampa Bay earlier this week. But he is hitting and getting on base. Although he’s really struggled in the past week or two (as seen in these splits), he’s still hitting .273, which is the best of the three catchers. His on base percentage is also good at .321. There’s no real reason for him to not be on this team, but it’s not clear if he should be the full time starter.
Verdict: Keep as backup, use as starter for certain pitchers
For example, Brayan Bello wanted Wong as his catcher, so every fifth day, Wong started. It seems for the most part, Payton Tolle works well with Gasper, or at least that’s what manager Chad Tracy thinks, as he managed both in Worcester. Maybe an arrangement such as that could work.
*= According to ESPN’s depth chart, Gasper is the starter.
Backup Catcher: Carlos Narvaez
Per Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic (subscription required), Narvaez’s cut in playing time came out of nowhere. Obviously with the Anthony injury, in addition to how Gasper performed with the Red Sox the last time he was called up, no one expected him to even be called up, let alone have this resurgence. Due to the suddenness of it all, it’s understandable to perhaps draw comparisons to the Rafael Devers situation in the 2024 offseason/2025 season (although to a much lesser extent). Narvaez also seemed to be passive-aggressive towards the reduced playing time but says he’s “going to be there for whenever the team needs [him]”.
He’s more known for his glove and while he did have a disastrous error earlier this season, this is still the guy who had 10 DRS last year and threw out an MLB-leading 32 runners last year. He was a finalist at Gold Glove in the AL at the catcher position. It’s just an off year right now, especially with him batting .209. But with Gasper somewhat slipping this month (.154 batting average in June), it might be time for a change for a little bit.
Verdict: Start him at catcher
With Gasper’s slight decline, it’s worth a shot to figure out a different alignment defensively. Plus, Gasper’s been a designated hitter and played some infield during this stint, so there’s ways for both of them to fit if needed.
Third String: Connor Wong
The last piece remaining from the Mookie Betts trade, Connor Wong has had a weird last few years in Boston. He had a solid 2024, with a slash line of .280/.333/.425 with 13 homers and 52 RBIs. Then due to a series of hand injuries that likely changed his swing, he struggled massively in 2025, hitting .190 on the season and not getting his first extra base hit until July 25th of that season (he was the starting catcher for the majority of that season).
This season, he was definitely on some thin ice, with his role as backup catcher being challenged early on in Spring Training. This season, he’s been decent. He’s hitting .264 with 8 extra base hits, along with six walks. However, it’s a small sample size in 26 games. And with the crowded room, he has started to be placed in trade rumors.
Verdict: Trade
Even though Gasper is slightly older than Wong, he’s being seen as the guy who splits time with Narvaez and not Wong. As Wong gets less and less playing time, the more likely he is to get traded. While he’s not too big of a power guy either, he is doing much better than last year, so there should still be some value left to trade.
The Last Word
Now with Gasper being the oldest, and Narvaez only being 25 but an inconsistent bat, the Red Sox should really have catcher as a priority in the draft/free agency. Not the major priority, but definitely something to look for. Even someone like Ethan Salas could be acquired at this year’s trade deadline. But for now, these are the three catchers on the team and what could happen with them.
Main Photo: Maddy Malhotra- Imagn Images
