The Red Sox are running out of time, and the catcher market is starting to thin at exactly the wrong moment.
With six days left before the deadline, Boston still needs to find the second slugging bat it wants to help the offense. Catcher remains the clearest place to upgrade, but some of the best names are slipping away.
Hunter Goodman, one of the more appealing options from Colorado, may not move at all. The Rockies have not really pushed to trade the two-time All-Star catcher, and teams that have checked in were reportedly asked for a massive return.
Then there’s Athletics All-Star Shea Langeliers, whose trade chances vanished after he tore his meniscus. That takes another big name off the board and forces Boston to keep looking.
There are still alternatives, though, and a few of them would be clear upgrades over Boston’s current platoon.
Ryan Jeffers is one possibility. He’s hitting .293/.395/.535/.930 with nine home runs in 46 games, and he would come as a rental.
If the Red Sox want a longer-term answer, New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez stands out. He has dealt with injuries throughout his career, but this season he’s slashing .262/.341/.450/.791 with 12 home runs. He also brings a swing that should fit Fenway well, and he has three and a half years of control left on his contract.
Another name to watch is St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera.
MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported that St. Louis is open to moving the All-Star because the organization has top catching talent on the way to the majors.
Herrera is hitting .244/.365/.380/.746 with 12 homers and also has three and a half years of control remaining.
For Boston, the need is obvious. Catcher is the spot that needs the most help, and the Red Sox need someone who can add power while still putting the ball in play.
With the Curtis Mead injury only adding to the urgency, Boston can’t afford to wait much longer.
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The Red Sox already made one move to add Curtis Mead, but the search for a true shortstop upgrade could still be the bigger storyline as the roster takes shape. ESPN analyst David Schoenfield floated a trade concept that would send Boston into the mix for a proven answer in the middle infield, a reminder that the clubs infield plans may not be finished even after the latest addition.
The catch is the price. Schoenfields idea would require Boston to part with a significant prospect haul, and the player at the center of the proposal is not a short-term rental. He has been productive this season and remains under control through 2027, which is exactly why the asking cost would be steep and why this remains only a speculative framework rather than a confirmed deal. [Read more 🡒]
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After sending Connelly Early to Washington for Curtis Mead, the Red Sox have already shown they are willing to keep moving pieces before the trade deadline. The next question is whether they are ready to go after a bigger offensive upgrade, and Los Angeles Angels slugger Zach Neto has emerged as a name that fits what Boston is looking for. His right-handed bat would make sense in Fenway Park, and the Red Sox can see the appeal of adding a player whose profile could play well in their lineup.
The problem is the price tag. Bostons interest in Neto comes with real tension because the kind of package that could get a deal done may force the club to decide how far it wants to go with its prospect capital. The Red Sox are also weighing other ways to structure a pursuit, including different combinations of young talent, while trying to avoid emptying the farm system for a single move. For a front office trying to balance urgency with long-term depth, Neto has become the kind of deadline target that can expose just how aggressive Boston is willing to be. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Fans Are Loving How This Old Trade Looks Now
Before the 2022 trade deadline, Boston made a practical call on Christian Vzquez, moving the veteran catcher to Houston rather than letting an expiring-contract starter walk for nothing. In return, the Red Sox landed Wilyer Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez, a deal that looked like a standard deadline swap at the time but has taken on a much different feel as the years have passed.
Abreu has grown into a dependable part of Bostons lineup, and the way the trade has aged has only sharpened the sense that the Red Sox came out ahead. There is still some room for the usual what-if debate about how his development might have looked elsewhere, but from Bostons side, this is the kind of move front offices hope to make and fans love to revisit. [Read more 🡒]