The Red Sox will place catcher Connor Wong on the 10-day injured list, skipper Alex Cora told the Boston beat after tonight’s loss to Toronto (via Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic). Wong broke his left pinkie finger on a catcher’s interference in the first inning. Cora said the Sox have not decided the corresponding move yet.
Wong has started seven of the Sox’s 11 games behind the dish. He only has two hits (both singles) and three walks over his first 23 at-bats. Wong had a career-best .280/.333/.425 showing with 13 longballs through 487 plate appearances last year. Boston dealt top catching prospect Kyle Teel as part of the Garrett Crochet trade. They committed to Wong as their starter while acquiring Carlos Narváez from the Yankees to work as the backup.
Narváez is now in line for the most significant playing time of his young career. The 26-year-old has appeared in 11 major league games over the last two seasons. He hit .254/.370/.412 with 11 homers over 96 Triple-A contests last season, though that came with a concerning number of strikeouts. The Red Sox strongly valued his receiving and game-calling acumen when they acquired him.
Blake Sabol, acquired in an offseason deal with the Giants, is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Recalling him to serve as Narváez’s backup would be the straightforward move. Sean McAdam of MassLive writes that it’s the expected transaction. The lefty-swinging Sabol is a career .243/.313/.392 hitter with 13 longballs in 382 trips to the plate. While he might have a higher offensive ceiling than Narváez, he doesn’t have as strong a defensive reputation. Sabol was more of a third catcher/corner outfielder for most of his San Francisco tenure. Statcast credits him with a decent arm but subpar blocking and framing grades.
This was discussed earlier, hope he gets well soon but it shouldn’t have much of an impact on the team … he’s been that bad.
Shame on the Sox for not appropriately addressing their lack of catching depth after trading Teel.
Why would they not have tried to resign Jano guys a stud and didn’t sign for all that much
Wong has been steadily improving each year in HRs, RBIs and OPS. He was solid last year with an OPS of .758 and OPS+ of 110. The Red Sox did address catching depth when they traded Teel. They acquired Narvaez on the same day they traded Teel. Narvaez is hitting well so far this year and his strikeout rate is down.
Right it’s not like you can have 4 catchers just waiting for major league time. Hopefully they sign someone though to at least occupy space in AAA just in case.
Jansen was not impressive in Boston last year offensively or defensively.
Jansen was simply horrendous in Boston and was only worth a prove it type deal if that
Jansen was terrible for boston last year and has less hits than wong this year..hes making 8 mil..thsts alot for 1 hit
Pool – Exactly!
But wait …. there’s more!
Since the start of last season, there have been 30 players who caught at least 700 innings.
Wong is dead last with -14 DRS and Jansen is 3rd-worst with -11 DRS.
Both catchers are among the worst in MLB.
1 year of DRS isn’t telling and it was an outlier for Jansen compared to the rest of his career. That said, if Wong isn’t hitting like he was last year then he’s not worth starting because his framing isn’t good.
joe – Jansen had a good 3-year stretch from 2021-2023, that’s about it. He’s in his 30’s now and his brutal 2024 season has carried over into this season. It’s not injury related either.
Perhaps his vision has gotten worse? Either way, the fact a cheap team like Tampa would pay him so much speaks more for the dearth of quality MLB catchers than it does his current talent level.
Trading Teel was a huge mistake no matter how he turns out.
FPG – trading Teel and having no good C prospects behind him was one of the reasons I disliked the crochet deal. I wouldn’t have included any of Campbell, Teel, Anthony or Mayer. They might have been able to get he deal done if they added in Arias and Cespedas instead of Teel as the White Sox are still a ways away from competing.
With Raleigh signing an extension, there isn’t really any good C hitting FA in the next few years either. The farm is pretty bare in terms of C guys. Let’s hope they figure that out quickly. I don’t like Wong as a long term answer either. I think he brings more value as a utility guy than a C with his very poor defensive grades there.
If it was possible, they would’ve done it. People on here always think they know better in trades, yet you see none of what happens behind the scenes.
Tang – The Netflix doc debuts TODAY …. so maybe we will see what happens behind the scenes? ;O)
Not with the Crochet deal though, they stopped filming by then.
They aren’t showing that kind of stuff. That would be dumb
Tang – It’s a Netflix documentary, 90% of it will be behind the scenes stuff.
They even document Duran trying to kill himself by pulling the trigger. Now to me, that is kinda stupid for two reasons:
1) Fans can be real jerks, they will use that info to get in his head. I saw a lot of that with Dugie and others..
2) The Red Sox will have concerns about him having a mental relapse, which is common with any type of illness or addiction. They probably won’t extend a fair extension offer, and could end up trading him. I’ve been saying this for over a year.
Cora is already doing damage control, saying it will save lives. Yeah I get how it helps some of those going through similar experiences, but he is really making himself vulnerable. Personally I would have waited until retirement before going public with it.
Very different showing player emotion in an interview compared to the inner workings of a front office. They would never allow that
Tang – Instead of saying never, you really need to actually watch the documentary. This sort of thing has been quite common for decades. In fact they documented the Red Sox front office when Duquette was negotiating with Mussina and Ramirez.
nytimes.com/2000/12/19/sports/tv-sports-espn-gets-…
It’s not like highly sensitive stuff will be revealed, it’s all about past events that have no bearing on the present or future. Kinda like when the gov declassifies documentation.
Fpg ..you got it wrinh man.. coming from someone who has dealt with people in the exact same state of mind as duran wss.talking about it on this level will only help him and there is absolutley nothing a fan can say to him that he hasnt thought to himself 1000x worse..instead worrying about the man being weak and fragile celebrate his courage and strength ..and cora isnt doing damage contol..come on this is such a positive thing dont ruin it wiyj your cynical nonesense
Pool – You’re getting it all wrong my friend. I totally understand how Duran talking about it not only helps others, it helps him. I’ve gone through some difficult times myself, nothing like Duran, and I’ve been very candid about it to people I know and trust.
But I’m perceptive enough to know not to talk about it here, and I would guess Duran knows he will probably get crap from fans as a corner outfielder in places like Yankee Stadium and Philly. Will he be able to handle it? I hope so, but don’t forget he was set off last year just by some clown talking about a tennis racket.
Why do you think I don’t celebrate his courage and strength? Dude, look back at the comments from years ago ….. I’ve been his biggest fan since Day One. I defended him fiercely just like I do all my players who are wrongly abused by the media and so-called “fans”.
How about you? Did you defend him when he took a bunch of crap from “fans” for his decision to not get vaxxed? Did you defend him when he misplayed the Tapia fly ball? Did you defend him last year with the tennis racket incident?
You say Cora isn’t doing damage control …. then why did he feel the need to tell everyone “Duran is saving lives by talking about his suicide attempt”? Are we all so stupid that we don’t realize famous role models who rise above that kind of thing become a positive influence on those dealing with similar issues?
I hope I’m wrong. I hope there are no fan incidents throughout the year, and I hope Duran is in a Sox uniform for at least another 6-7 years. If I’m wrong, feel free to remind me.
I’ve seen in person how nasty fans can be, there’s a reason why I’m concerned. If there are reports of it going on this year, I’ll be sure to remind you as well.
Don’t forget the mentality of certain fanbases, like the two clowns in Yankee Stadium who thought it was their obligation to help the Yankees by mugging Mookie in the World Series last year. That’s their mentality, “by all means necessary”.
I don’t pay for Netflix and haven’t for years. Too much garbage including this cash grab
Jansen was brutal last year.
Not great when your finger gets caught in the cookie jar. The risk doesn’t seem worth the reward.
Maybe this is the mental reset Wong needed to get his bat going. He’s come up to bat with more runners in scoring position that just about anyone on the team and he hasn’t been successful so far to put it lightly.
If as a catcher you are going to fracture a digit, the pinkie finger is the best one. Hopefully he’s only out for 3-4 weeks. The Sox can get by with Narvaez & Sabol for the time being.
It’s a 26 PAs sample size from which one can’t really draw any conclusions on. He was pretty good last year.
YBC – Last year after June 23rd Wong had just a .666 OPS in 264 PA’s.
He’s just one of many catchers who started their Red Sox career with good offensive numbers, only to have their offense come crashing down. And statistically Wong has been the worst MLB catcher (min 700 Innings) since the start of last year.
Some people believe Cora messed him up by forcing him to play other positions.
Dotty – It’s a little early to need a mental reset, don’t you think? He may just be toast.
I hope he gets well soon, but if he’s out long enough to force the Red Sox to acquire a good catcher, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
People don’t get to decide when they need a mental reset. That’d be pretty convenient, don’t you think?
Sox pitching and catching depth getting tested early. Unfortunately there arern’t many good internal options at C.
Wishing Wong a speedy recovery.
He stayed in to finish the inning. Huge nuts. Sox fans have been bitching about Wong for months, but he’s a solid dude, even if it’s as more of a 60/40 or 50/50 timeshare than an 80/20 kind of catcher. It’s like we haven’t even considered that playing your starting catcher at second, in left, etc might contribute to a big second half fade on both sides of the ball. There was a stretch two years ago when McGuire was hurt, when he started every game but one for several straight weeks, and in THAT game, he still came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth. Narvaez also looks like he could be a solid timeshare catcher, but maybe Sox fans will appreciate Wong a little bit more after a few weeks of Narvaez and ???.
rhs – He stayed in because as is always the case, his hand didn’t begin swelling for a few minutes.
Lots of injuries seem innocuous at first. That’s why when you are in a car accident, make sure you get checked out by a doctor immediately after. You may feel perfectly fine until the next day when the pain sets in.
Baseball Zen
Sandy Leon’s in Gwinnett
Lol, I was just thinking…
dewey – I was thinking the same! I’m especially fond of Leon as he won me big money 3 years ago on the Derby ;O)
Yeah, might as well run Narváez out there until he shows otherwise. He’s been crushing it so far. With that said, some of his metrics on Savant, like Barrel%, HH%, LA Sweet Spot, Squared-Up and Chase % might point to him cooling off soon.
York – May have already started, he was hitless in 4 PA’s last night.
@Fever Pitch Guy
He’s cooked! Go trade for William Contreras!
York – I’d like to think the Yanks wouldn’t have traded him to the Sox if there was any chance of him becoming good …. but they did trade Fitts, so who knows!
Connor seems like a good egg and clubhouse guy so hope he heals and pans out for R. Sox nation. But as a fan of the other Sox, wondering if the BoSox were a bit hasty to move off Teel, given Connor’s high BABIP and all. Maybe the injury will fashion a reset and take the pressure off- league avg is okay
Moving Teel was neither hasty nor was it about being motivated to move Teel at all. The team for all the right reasons wanted Crochet, and you have to give up something to get something. Boston wanted to leave the Campbell/Mayer/Anthony trio untouched, and it seems that Teel was necessary to make a trade work for Chicago.
Win win then
@longinus. That’s why crochet wasn’t moved at the deadline, because his price was high. People play with the trade simulator too much, and think 4 low level prospects get it done, and gripe about holding onto the top prospect bust too long you pull the trigger on something proven and he’s still young as well.
I actually think they offered Mayer first but Chicago preferred teel. Could be wrong though.
Tang – I wouldn’t be surprised, Mayer’s injury history made him somewhat expendable and they’ve got plenty of middle infield options.
The ChiSox already had a strong catcher prospect, so pushing for Teel was strictly them recognizing his value.
For all the Red Sox talk about improving the defense, how could they ignore their poor defensive catchers? Isn’t catcher defense among the most critical of all positions?
Long – The White Sox had all the leverage in the Crochet trade, that is a fact. So they demanded the one prospect that the Red Sox truly needed, since their catching situation is horrific while they’ve got plenty of OF and IF options.
But like the book title says, Winning Fixes Everything ;O)
We needed a top arm more than a maybe solid catcher. Having an elite hitting catcher is always a bonus. They can backfill for now and be fine with their lineup.
Tang – The Red Sox had so many other options to upgrade the starting pitching, they chose the riskiest.
Now it’s just a matter of wait and see how it all pans out.
They chose the youngest and extended him. They were never giving term to the free agents because of age and I’m glad they didn’t. I would’ve preferred a trade for Gilbert or similar but Seattle is insane and is allergic to offense.
Tang – Yeah no sense in trying to predict Crochet’s future now. I still would have signed Snell instead, even with his current injury.
Even better, the Sox could have easily signed Lugo and Imanaga the year before for a lot less than what they are paying Crochet and Walker.
Heck the Sox could have signed The Great Nate for a lot less too, he’s been brilliant as usual.
The White Sox already have a decent catching prospect in Edgar Quero, similar to Teel they’re both bat first guys. But I don’t follow them too closely.
The Red Sox really lack good C in their system, and with no real good FA options in the next few years with the Raleigh extension, that position looks rough for the Red Sox.
Reese McGuire perked up in a parking lot somewhere, upon hearing this news.
He’s always perked up in parking lots.
Conner has had in most terms a very ugly start to his season, and just can’t seem to go anything positive, so I felt all along he was headed into an injury, just a gut feeling! Wish him the best and hope he returns soon!
Bad – Agreed, his head hasn’t been in the game. Two interference calls against him and recently getting picked off first base, the signs were there.
Is George mitterwald still kicking??
olm – Fisk is, he was on the field at Fenway just a few days ago! And so was Monty!
So what did you think of the 50th anniversary celebration?
I loved it, amazing how many guys showed up.
I didn’t even recognize Yaz, but it was the happiest I’ve ever seen him.
Fever-I caught some of that. Yaz did look happy but, at 85, he’s beginning to really show his age.
let – Agreed! But it’s a blessing that he’s still around, considering he was a chain smoker for so long.
I was surprised to see Hobson, didn’t realize he played all of two games in the 1975 season. LOL
FPG… what an outstanding tribute… saddened my name sake not there to see how loved he was! I believe I’ve mentioned this but Fisk lives or use to live in Lockport ill, kids went to school at Hs… I pull into speedway in black Lincoln towncar and he’s pumping gas in front of me … we make eye contact and he see my plates Reddsx1 , grins and gets into his suv and drives off…Has a reputation ( not good) around fans but again if I’m trying to watch kid at HS game I wouldn’t want some youkell bothering me!!!
olm – Very interesting about Pudge! I knew he lived in Illinois during the summer and Florida in the winter. Yeah he was always a no-nonsense guy, most catchers usually are.
Did you know his brother-in-law is Rick Miller, the guy who tied an MLB record with four doubles in one game. Only Victor Martinez has had 4 doubles in a game since!
The Kevin Bacon effect,,, would go to games on a whime at Cominsky, when batting practice was allowed, pitchers playing long toss and one was kind enough to toss up a ball…not very well known but in 84 Chicago he would be!!( the Baron) anyways guy signing balls left center so I drop mine down, # 1 Indians… Rick Miller!!!
olm – So what say you …. did Rick have the best ‘stash in MLB?
I didn’t even know he was with the Red Sox before going to the Angels!
That trade was seismic back then …. Miller, Clear and Lansford for Butch & Rooster.
I think it worked out well for the Sox, but it was tough seeing the left side of the infield gone all at once. Rooster was Pedey before Pedey, he didn’t get pissed just when the Sox were losing …. he got pissed when the Sox were tied!!!
If I’m correct carney won a batting title, last righty before Nomar and didn’t mark clear start 7-0 and was an all star for us?? Yeah loved rooster… definitely an original dirt dog!!!
olm – As usual you are 100% correct! Clear was awesome and Carney was the reason Boggs came up later than he should have.
In fact at one point the Red Sox had THREE reigning batting champs on the roster at the same time, all of whom were third basemen.
Carney was the AL batting champ as you mentioned.
Boggs was the International League batting champ.
And Eddie Jurak was the Eastern League batting champ …. how about that!
That was when I burst onto the scene, those were the days. Did you know one of Carney’s legs was more than an inch shorter than the other. Of course that led to chronic back problems which hampered his career.
Not sure which is crazier, that I learned these things or that I remember them ;O)
olm – I have calls out to Gene Lamont and Jim French. Will advise.
Ok gene Lamont I get…. But the guy from Family Affair??? Nice try!!!
I met Pudge at the Bow Hampton Inn in NH. He saw my Clarence DeMar marathon shirt and said, “You’re crazier than I am.” We had a nice chat. He’s a big guy. I’m 6’2” almost 200, but he made me feel average size.
olm – You’re thinking of Victor French, the star of the Rico Petrocelli TV show.
hayzee – I’m young so I met Pudge just once, at Winter Weekend in Foxwoods.
I told him if there was email back in 1980 he would have gotten his contract on time and therefore never would have changed his Sox. He laughed.
He signed my baseball, very nice sharp signature.
YAZ is 85, but I’m not.
The single most reason why this knuckle head kid from Cicero ill grew up a Redsox fan!! The 75 team!!! I remember buying first hat at wrigley field from vendor!! The cool red one, being “ big boned” Jim Ed was my favorite player!! His 78 season etched in brain, only wish the US constitution was more that year!!LOL
olm – Did you ever run into Scarface there in Cicero? Damn now I’m really jealous!!!
And another thing we have in common …… everyone loved Freddie Lynn, but my guy was Jim Ed because I always liked the strong silent players.
He would never sign though, we would ask when he was the Sox hitting coach but he always ignored everyone. Dewey on the other hand signed and like Pudge took his time with a perfect signature.
Got a nice picture with Jim Ed as he came down from stage he was walking to gate security behind him, I stood by gate blocking entrance and asked Mr Rice can I please get a picture with you.. Mrs Brais was so nervous as he turned he said sure right when the Mrs snapped it!! Much nicer than my run in with Manny and Julio Lugo after game at Hump done!!!!
olm – One thing people learned, never interrupt Manny’s alone time with Lugo, or his hair petting of Julian Tavarez ;O)
Maybe he’ll figure out how not to commit catcher’s interference now.
bass – Let’s hope he gets lots of time to figure it out in AAA. The Red Sox need a real catcher, my fear is they bring back Vaz.
Last night Crochet was constantly shaking off Narvaez..
Houck and Walker have massively underperformed.
Trading Teel was a huge mistake.