The Red Sox made a roster move Saturday after bringing Tommy Kahnle back into the organization, and the player squeezed out was catcher Matt Thaiss.
Thaiss, who had a shot in spring training to win a spot on the big league club, was officially released and is now back on the free-agent market in the middle of the season.
His connection to Boston goes back a long way. The Red Sox selected him in the 32nd round of the 2013 MLB Draft, though they clearly expected him to go to college, which he did. Thaiss then starred at the University of Virginia and climbed all the way to No. 16 overall in the 2016 MLB Draft, when the Angels took him.
For a while, Thaiss carried the look of a real prospect. But the production never matched the billing. In 819 MLB at bats, he has hit .210 with 23 home runs.
The defensive side never fully stabilized, either. He moved back to catcher in recent years, but there was a stretch when it looked like he might have to leave the position entirely, putting even more pressure on his bat.
Thaiss has appeared in the majors for the Angels, White Sox and Rays. This year, he spent the entire season at Triple-A Worcester, where he hit .201 with three home runs in 44 games.
He’s 31 now, and there’s still a decent chance another team will bring him in for catching depth. But the path he once seemed headed down never really materialized, and this move feels like another step toward the end of that run.
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