The Red Sox have claimed catcher Ali Sánchez off waivers from the Blue Jays, according to announcements from both clubs. Toronto had designated him for assignment a few days ago. Boston had a 40-man roster vacancy, though that is now full. Sánchez is out of options, so the Sox will need to make a corresponding active roster move when he reports to the club.
Sánchez, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Jays in the offseason. He has twice been called up to serve as an injury replacement. The first stint lasted about a week in late May/early June when Tyler Heineman was on the concussion-related injured list. Once Heineman returned, the out-of-options Sánchez was designated for assignment, cleared waivers, elected free agency and re-signed with the Jays. He got back to the majors a few weeks ago when Alejandro Kirk needed a stint on the concussion IL. Kirk’s return caused another DFA for Sánchez, but this one will lead to another big league opportunity.
The Sox have had Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong as their primary catching duo this year. Narváez is having a good season but missed Wednesday’s game due to knee soreness. Wong is having an awful season offensively, with a .160/.235/.179 line.
At this point, it’s unclear how the Sox plan to proceed. Perhaps Narváez will go on the IL. The Sox could also option Wong to the minors. It’s also possible they want to carry three catchers while they give Narváez a few days to rest his knee. That would involve optioning someone else, perhaps David Hamilton, in order to open a spot for Sánchez.
Sánchez debuted back in 2020 but his major league track record is still quite small. He has just 131 big league plate appearances with a .186/.224/.237 line. He has received solid grades for his glovework and generally put up good offensive numbers in the minors. From 2022 to the present, he has 931 Triple-A plate appearances with a .273/.350/.420 line and 97 wRC+. He is out of options but has barely over a year of service time, meaning he’s cheap and can be retained beyond this year if he’s still holding a roster spot at the end of the season.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images
Sounds like Narvaez to the IL?
certainly seems like it. that hurts.
He’s been pretty bad at the plate for the last month or so, so maybe some time away could help give him a mental reset/time to work on strategy. Either way I hope it’s not for too long since his defense has been great regardless.
Meow – Red Sox Nation took with a huge grain of salt reports of Carlos being back in the lineup today. Even if it is just a sore knee, he’s a catcher …. catchers need to have healthy knees.
Either an injury or just regression to the mean. His bat was never his strong suite. That’s why him coming out and hitting so strongly was such a surprise.
Regardless, I hope he gets healthy and can help the team with their playoff push.
Agreed Fever but there aren’t better options either at Worcester or elsewhere?
Dewey – the Sox have little to no catching depth or prospects in the minors.
Worcester has Seby Zavala and the recently signed Chadwick Tromp. Two not great options.
Portland has Ronaldo Rosario and Ronaldo Hernandez. I haven’t really paid attention to Rosario, but he’s 22 so no need to rush him up if they haven’t had him in AAA.
Dewey – 90 minutes to gametime and still no announcement, unreal. Breslow’s computer must be getting updates.
In the catcher’s spot I really don’t care about offense too much. What I want from the catcher is them calling a good game, frame borderline pitches to get strike calls, and throwing would be base stealers out. Carlos is absolutely great at that, I hope he’s back healthy soon. Now having said that, we need more production than Wong gives us, I don’t know if Sanchez is that dude but just about anybody could be more productive than Wong has been. Im surprised he wasn’t DFA’d before the deadline so we’d have more options.
bum – I totally agree, Wong’s production has been atrocious … even for a catcher. He makes Vaz look like Piazza.
Defensively Wong is the 2nd-worst catcher in MLB since last season.
fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?stats=fld&…
This is why Red Sox Nation was livid Teel went in the Crochet trade. The ChiSox knew how valuable catchers are, the Red Sox didn’t.. That’s why you have lousy catchers like Vaz making $10M annually and Jansen $8M.
FPG
Cora should have had the hook for Giolito before a couple of those walks in the 5th. Giolito was not sharp. 6 walks and a wild pitch. Got lucky Machados hidden ball trick did not work… The pitcher cannot stand on the rubber or ??? I admit I have know idea about this rule. Who is responsible for knowing where the ball is ?? Hudson, Duran, probably everyone..
Cdchi – yeah there’s this in the MLB rules when discussing a balk.
Rule 6.02(a)(9)
The pitcher, without having the ball, stands on or astride the pitcher’s plate or while off the plate, he feints a pitch;
—
Going on the mound without the ball and acting like they’re going to pitch is deception and that’s the whole point of the balk rules, to prevent/limit the deception.
Jmo
Thank you…. Ok. There has always been something about the Hidden ball trick that seems like little league. IMO.( Let’s go Braintree)It is sure to embarrass the player, team that gets fooled. You know who have known the rules… Belicheck….. Lol…..
Cdc – He’s got 8 starts left, needs to average 5 IP to reach 140. I think he does it, even if he misses a start.
“This is why Red Sox Nation was livid Teel went in the Crochet trade.”
What are you talking about? No one has said that, unless they are incredibly glib. Crochet or Teel? Hmmm, not that tough of a call.
Isnt this the same guy who posted many times, as the Red Sox were building a top notch farm system, said “prospects are a crap shoot, look at the Moncada/Sale deal”? I think If the Red Sox gave him a million dollars, he’d complain that the paper bag it was in is too dirty.
FPG
We need him to be the pitcher he has been before last nights , hopefully just a tough game effort. He needs to real good if he wants the contract he’s going to be looking for. Tough game for him last night.
Cdc – He wasn’t terrible until the 5th when he lost his control, probably from fatigue. I’m not overly concerned.
FPG is a troll . He was KD17’s wingman. IGNORE him.
FPG is a troll — IGNORE him.
cdc – Bello didn’t look good today, it was the first time in a long time that he had a meltdown.
My bigger concern is the offense, how much longer can they play Rafaela/Toro/Wong? The had the bases loaded nobody out and then Rafaela struck out, one of the pitches he swung at a ball that was an inch from hitting his leg and the final strike was a pitch at chin level. It was bad, really bad.
Then Toro followed by swinging at pitches that were a foot off the strike zone, the Padres announcers were mocking him saying don’t throw anything close to a strike and he’ll swing no matter how far away the pitch is.
Lots of people are saying the hitting slump started right after the sign stealing became big news, I guess that could have something to do with it. Let’s see if the Sox can steal more signs in Houston.
It was nice of Xander to give that gift, botching an easy doubleplay ball, but too bad the Sox couldn’t do anything more with it.
So now they are onto Houston, I think they will win the series because Cora and Bregman have a lot of inside knowledge about the Astros.
Either Narvaez is worse than expected or they’re finally cutting ties w Wong. I thought I read somewhere that Narvy’s return was imminent. Hope that’s the case.
Also wonder why Seby isn’t getting a chance to unseat Wong.
Ali Sanchez hasn’t had a ton of time at the major league level yet, and has exceeded his career numbers this year (still not great offensively, but you could argue he’s trending up). Zavala has had plenty of time to demonstrate that he’s not suited to a ML roster.
That’s my take on it anyhow.
swan – Narvaez has been atrocious at the plate since Memorial Day, batting just .207 with a .630 OPS. He could use the time off either way.
I would think if it’s Wong being released, they’d have made the move 9 days ago when they could have traded for a real catcher. Plus he has an option remaining.
I’d be in favor of optioning Wong once we know Narvaez is good to go. Some regular reps in AAA could be to his benefit.
Meow – Agreed!
And I don’t believe they will option Hamilton to have three catchers, as that would leave them with only one backup infielder …. unless you count Wong, which I wouldn’t.
I know that a lot of Sox fans don’t like him, but I think a guy like Hamilton is a fine 13th position player. His speed and defensive flexibility is something I really like on a roster. Obviously the bat has been abysmal but it’s < 150 PAs, and he had a much better showing in a larger sample last year.
I think Narvaez has just settled to his normal hitting level. His value is with the mask on, any offense is a bonus. He’s a #8 hitter at best.
Meow – I strongly agree! I’ve said this before … whenever the Sox need a run late in the game, he can pinch-run and turn a walk, single, or error into a double or triple. Watching him steal 2B and then 3B about a week ago was thrilling, he’s a very valuable weapon.
swan – Agreed! He’s certainly not the first catcher to begin with an offensive bang and then taper off after opponents have a book on him.
Heck, Sandy Leon in his first full season batted .310 with an .845 OPS …. Sandy Leon!!! And for the rest of his MLB career covering 7 seasons he’s batted .188 with a .546 OPS!
I cursed David Hamilton with this comment I’m so sorry.
Meow- Nahh, it was just Xander making a great play. Damn I miss that guy. Did you see his interview on Roman? It was great.
Ali Sanchez seemed like a decent guy – deserves to be a ML backup imo, but the Jays are stacked so he was #3 here (Kirk 3.4 fWAR, Heineman 2.3 fWAR makes for a killer combo – they are 3rd and 12th in fWAR among catchers in the majors)
jnorth – Heineken was with the Red Sox last year, they put him on waivers. That’s how Toronto acquired him.
Obviously a bad call by the Red Sox.
Heineman (sp) — but as a Jays partisan I agree that Boston erred in losing Heineman via waivers. Every chance he’s had this season, he’s lit up opposing pitchers, and looks comfortable batting and catching for a first-place team. There are so many players to keep track of for every team, on their payroll and others’ that it’s no surprise that some future stars (or just solid players) slip through, despite all the fans who are experts telling teams what to do… Before teams computerized in the 70s and early 80s there must have been great dependence on the guy in the back room who knew “everything”.
Excellent win for the Sox last night. Buehler switched up his arsenal and got his best results of the season. Balanced and patient offense with 8 walks.. Even Wong had his 1st hit with risp,a bases clearing double. He has looked a little better with more playing time. That makes sense. Broadcast said Narvaez will be in there on Sunday. Good win on the road , against a quality pitcher and team.
Well in the movie 42 they showed Branch Rickey had files on negro league players before picking Jackie. I imagine in those days front offices had relationships with beat writers across the country. I would venture to guess they read the sports sections of every newspaper imaginable and saved important clippings on players they were interested in. They probably had huge scouting departments that would talk to prospects.
Cdc – Who will be dropped from the roster then, Hamilton? I don’t think it can be Ali.
Yoshida is career 3 for 3 against Cease with a 2.333 OPS so I told Cora to start him today. 😆
Heineman’s been with the Jays 3 different times now. He’s bounced around quite a bit and until this year had never really shown an inclination to hitting other then his last brief stint with the Jays.
The Sanchez acquisition by Boston is interesting from another angle. The recent sign stealing allegations about an advanced yet legal system for sign stealing can certainly be aided by adding a backup catcher from the division leading rival team. He can walk straight into the managers office and spill the beans on everything he knows about the Jays operations and ideologies. Not sure how much it would help, but it can’t hurt.
newsweek.com/sports/mlb/red-sox-sign-stealing-coul…
Ali and Adam Frazier need to be teammates someday.
I don’t think Adam would fare well in that pairing.
Yes, that wouldn’t make for a very nice weekend for Adam. Of course I have other plans.
I’m looking forward to a weekend of Thrilla In Vanilla.
Gary – If the Sox also got Leon, they could make it a Four-man.
Canuck – Agreed, Ali is the Greatest!
Sox probably should have kept Wong in the minors and seen if Grandal had anything left in the tank. If Narvaez does go on the IL hopefully it’s a short trip
Will Wagner deal looks a lot better now.
@BetterMuppet:JUDGEorKERMIT
The Wagner/Vanelzuela trade was about swapping org depth. Wagner can hit but has no power and can’t field. Valenzuela can’t hit but can field his position. Jays should be looking for real depth.
I ask half jokingly, “Is Tek available?”
That is how bad the Sox catching situation is. It went from a strength to huge hole really quickly!
Correct me if im wrong but hasn’t narvaez been one of the best defensive catchers in all of mlb this year? If true im sure the sox care little about a slump at the plate defense is far and away the most important thing for any catcher
Probably signed so he can give a scouting report on the Jays.Smart move by Boston.
If Navarez goes on the DL… they need to play Wong every game possible… him playing once or twice a week is why he is struggling mightily offensively this year… This will give him an opportunity to figure things out.
Actually his AB’s have been better as of late.
I have been waiting for Wong to adjust to the backup role with his offense, but it hasn’t happened. If Narvaez goes on the DL, leaving Wong to start most games and his offense kicks back in, what do you do? I would love to see Wong find his swing again, and I believe he was a solid defensive catcher when he was the starter. On the other hand, I don’t see Narvaez losing the starting role unless his offense completely disappears.
Uncle – Last year defensively he was among the worst in MLB, and his offense cratered in the second half. So his struggles this year aren’t a new thing.
I had not remembered him having poor defense, I guess he is not going to be a good option.
Fever- just looked at the score of last night’s game. Wow, It looks like Buehler had one of his best games while Pivetta had one of his worst. Aside from the bad game that we had with May, looks like we are performing at a playoff level. Even Wong got some RBIs.
Uncle – Yes Buehler’s performance was very encouraging, similar to three starts ago. Hopefully he can keep it up, as I don’t have a lot of faith in Harrison right now.
Not a surprise that Nick struggled, who knows his strengths and weaknesses better than Cora/Bailey/Wong etc?
Barring injuries, Sox are a lock for the postseason now. They’ve got too much talent with Roman, Abreu, Bregman, Duran, Story, top 3 starting pitchers, and the strong bullpen.
BTW – I think there’s a chance we might see a bench-clearing incident today or tomorrow. Both O’Hearn and Tatis nearly got hit in the head with fastballs, and Reynolds sucks so bad he tried twice to hit Story but couldn’t. LOL
.
I know that 40-man moves have to be made immediately (and Sanchez was added yesterday afternoon), but are 26-man changes allowed to wait until the player arrives with the team? Sanchez has no options left, but he hasn’t been added to the active roster yet.
Bosox – He was added to the active roster yesterday afternoon, but there is a grace period whereby if the newly acquired player doesn’t arrive by gametime then nobody has to be removed from the active roster.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bit of gamesmanship involved here, as they wanted to buy time to see if Narvaez’s knee improves by tonight’s game. They are really on the fence about whether or not to put him on the IL.
Meanwhile Wong had a couple hits and drove in 3 runs, including his first hit with RISP all season!
He’s not currently listed on the active roster at redsox.com, thus the reason for my question.
Bosox – I’m guessing they don’t want to reflect a change to the active roster listing until they know who is being dropped, but he is listed on the 40 man and therefore must be on the active roster too.
mlb.com/redsox/roster/40-man
Bosox – Actually I meant to say, look at all the players on the 40 list that do NOT have “minors” or “IL” next to them … there’s 27.
I think we can look for a more even split if Wong starts to hit..believe for these 2 guys it may benefit them both
If not for anything else, I’d like to see if he has any value to us (or anyone else). He’s been pretty decent the past two years,
Wong might br earning himself more playing time even when narvaez is full go again
I think the plan is for Narvy to get 10-15 days to get well. If Wong with regular starts improves, he and Narvy split time to keep both ready for the playoffs. They then would try to get Ali through waivers as depth.
Thanks for letting us know what you believe
Good job Boston. Ali is the goat. Now go get Brady and MJ
Do you get things are going well?
If you’re gonna troll, do it better.
Things are going so so well. Nowhere to go but up!
Cora and Schildt are both too savvy to allow this to become a bean ball/fight issue, They both believe their teams are on the cusp of being true contenders for the WS