With just 2 1/2 weeks left in the regular season, the Boston Red Sox suddenly have a catcher decision brewing that could matter in October.
Adley Rutschman remains the biggest name in the mix, and his elbow is still something to watch after he received a cortisone shot to start this week. That came right after he launched a three-run homer on Monday. Rutschman is clearly Boston’s top choice behind the plate, and after the club paid a small fortune in trade to get him, getting him right for the playoffs is the priority.
If the Red Sox get a full bill of health from the group that has contributed in the second half, they may be left weighing the final postseason roster spot between Connor Wong and Mickey Gasper.
Gasper has changed the conversation in a hurry. Boston didn’t appear eager to lean on him at catcher for much of the season, and it has been less than a month since his latest call-up from Triple-A. Still, since getting promoted on Sept. 17, he has hit eight home runs - more than Wong has managed over the last two years combined, and twice as many, in fact.
There’s also been word that Gasper has been putting in extra catching work before games. That alone doesn’t mean anything is set in stone, but it does add to the sense that the Red Sox are at least thinking harder about the position.
“Just trying to get out there and catch as much as I can,” Gasper said, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “I haven’t heard anything. I’m just going out there when my name’s in the lineup, trying to do my part.”
Wong, meanwhile, looks like a player whose ceiling has already been defined. He can hit for average at times and brings athleticism to the position, but the defense has not been strong enough, and the power has disappeared after that strange 13-homer season two years ago.
Gasper has cooled off over the last week, so he may need to get back to the kind of blistering run that put him on the radar in the first place. Even so, writing him off would be a mistake. He has a real shot to push Wong for that last October spot.
In Other News...
Red Sox Shortstop Search May Center On A Long-Term Angels Target
The Red Sox have been operating with shortstop on the list of positions worth monitoring, and their deadline interest in Elly De La Cruz was a reminder that they are willing to think big when a premium talent comes into view. Even without a deal last summer, the search itself said plenty about where Boston views the market and how aggressively it may be willing to chase an upgrade if the right player becomes available.
Zach Neto fits the kind of long-view target that can linger in that conversation. The Angels shortstop has built a reputation as one of the more valuable young infielders in the game, helped by strong offensive production and several years of arbitration control still ahead of him. He has not yet broken through to All-Star status or collected the hardware that often inflates a players profile, but for a team like Boston, that sort of track record can still make him the sort of name worth watching if trade chatter ever starts to move. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Just Made Franklin Arias Wait Through A Brutal Stretch Run
Following the trade deadline, the Red Sox have kept Franklin Arias in the minors rather than pushing the young shortstop into the major league mix, even as the roster has shifted around him. Instead, Boston has gone back to Trevor Story at shortstop, signaling a preference for experience as the team tries to manage the final weeks of the season.
Ian Browne reported that the club does not want to rush Arias with only 15 games left, especially when it can lean on Story and other in-house options for now. The path for Arias is still there, though, and injuries remain the one development that could force Boston to make a different call before the stretch run is over. [Read more 🡒]
Kristian Campbell Just Hit A Frustrating New Roadblock For The Red Sox
Kristian Campbell has run into another frustrating delay in his push back toward Boston, with the Worcester Red Sox placing him on the seven-day injured list because of a left foot contusion. The move cuts into what was already a narrow window for him to work his way back before the minor league season ends, and it adds another obstacle to a 2026 season he has spent in Triple-A after struggling in his initial major league stint.
Max Ferguson was promoted from Double-A Portland to fill Campbells roster spot, giving Worcester a quick replacement while Campbell tries to recover and keep his hopes of returning to the Red Sox alive. For Boston, it is another reminder that Campbells path back to the big leagues remains unfinished, and now it comes with even less time on the calendar than before. [Read more 🡒]