Veteran catcher Andrew Knizner is back on the move.
Knizner opted out of his Red Sox contract and is now a free agent, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The 31-year-old is looking for his fourth organization of the season.
Boston signed Knizner to a minor league deal near the end of June, and he made the most of the stop at Triple-A Worcester. In 21 games, he put up a 141 wRC+ and drew more walks than strikeouts. That fit a pattern for Knizner this year, because his best work has come at the highest minor league level.
Before landing with the Red Sox, Knizner hit .279/.371/.590 in 33 games for Albuquerque. The Rockies released him in June, and he likely set off an opt-out there as well.
His 2025 journey started with the Mariners after the Giants designated him for assignment in the offseason. Knizner posted a .598 OPS in 33 games with San Francisco, his third MLB team in three years. Most of his big-league experience has come with the Cardinals, and he also spent a season with the Rangers.
Even with the limited major league production - he owns a career 68 wRC+ - Knizner has a chance to find another landing spot. He’s drawn plenty of interest this season, and his minor league numbers only help. He hit 10 home runs in 241 plate appearances with the Cardinals in 2023, and this year he has 12 homers in just 234 minor league plate appearances.
For Boston, the catching picture has shifted enough that Knizner no longer looks like an obvious path to the majors. The group led by Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong had combined for a .636 OPS this season, a bottom-10 mark in the league, but the Red Sox changed course at the trade deadline.
They struck a blockbuster deal with the division-rival Orioles to acquire catcher Adley Rutschman. Narvaez went out in the trade, while veteran catcher Jake Rogers came back.
Rutschman is currently on the injured list with wrist inflammation, his third trip to the IL this season, though a debut in Boston could be close. The three-time All-Star began a rehab assignment with Worcester today and went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and two RBI in his first game there. He also threw out a runner trying to steal second.
It’s not clear how many games Rutschman will need at Triple-A to get fully ready. He was sidelined in mid-July with the wrist issue, and his earlier IL stints for ankle inflammation and a concussion did not require rehab assignments. He was behind the plate for Worcester, which is a good sign that the left wrist is handling the demands of catching.
Boston’s recent surge has changed the urgency, too. The Red Sox have won nine straight and hold a 6 1/2-game lead for a Wild Card spot in the AL entering the weekend, with Saturday’s game against the Athletics on deck. Wong and Rogers are handling the catching duties for now, so Rutschman does not need to be rushed.
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