With active rosters expanding from 26 to 28 today, the Red Sox are calling up right-hander Zack Kelly and catcher Ali Sánchez, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. The latter had signed a minor league deal with the Mets just over a week ago but the Red Sox traded for him last night, per Healey. The Mets received cash in the deal, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. The Sox opened a 40-man spot for Sánchez by moving infielder Marcelo Mayer to the 60-day injured list, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.
At first blush, it might be a bit confusing that the Sox and Mets swung a trade after the deadline. However, as MLBTR explained last month, certain trades are still allowed. A player on a minor league contract which has not been selected to the majors can be traded. That’s true even if the player was in the majors earlier in the season via a different contract. Last year, for instance, Cavan Biggio played for the Dodgers. After being designated for assignment and released, he signed a minor league deal with the Giants. After the deadline, he was traded from the Giants to Atlanta.
The situation is basically the same with Sánchez, who has played for the Blue Jays and Red Sox in 2025. The Sox designated him for assignment a couple of weeks back. He cleared outright waivers, elected free agency and signed with the Mets. Since this Mets deal hadn’t been selected to the majors, he was eligible to be traded back to Boston. By being acquired last night, prior to September, he’s eligible to be on Boston’s postseason roster.
Sánchez will give the Sox a three-catcher setup for the final month of the season, joining Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong. Sánchez still has a fairly limited major league track record. He has appeared in four big league seasons but with just 47 total games played. In those contests, he has a .185/.222/.235 slash line.
However, he’s generally regarded as a strong fielder and his offensive numbers have been better in a larger sample of minor league playing time. From 2022 to the present, he has stepped to the plate 943 times at the Triple-A level with a .272/.348/.418 line. That translates to a 96 wRC+, which is 4% below league average but decent for a catcher, especially a backup catcher.
Wong is slashing just .189/.253/.231 on the season, so perhaps there’s a scenario where Sánchez plays himself into the #2 slot behind Narváez and cracks the postseason roster. For now, he’ll give the club a bit more cover for a potential injury while also giving the skipper a bit more freedom for in-game roster moves. Sánchez is out of options but has just over a year of service time and can therefore be retained beyond this season if he’s holding a roster spot at season’s end.
Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
Ali Sanchez’s Wild Ride
Bring back Kelly nice move Breslow another pitcher who can’t get batters out
His 3.65 FIP would suggest he pitched in some bad luck, although it’s a very small sample size. He was ok last year, though he walks too many.
Anyone that watches him pitch knows he’s crap. He’s been terrible this year, throwing meatballs down the middle isn’t bad luck, it’s bad command. It’s like when people tried to argue Alcala had a low era with the Sox because he gave up inherited runners.
Does it matter? The last pitcher is for mopping up. As for Sanchez, Wong has looked better of late but the key might be whether Sanchez can throw runners out should Narvaez not be in the game.
It does matter, because Kelly has been used in numerous high stress situations.
Certainly matters considering we will be reverting to more bullpen starts with the recent injuries, and releasing Buehler (while paying the whole $22m). More bullpen starts, more digging deeper into the pen, more Kelly, and more earned runs to make it harder to keep it close and chip away at leads.
Mattered today
It’s a drag Criswell has been injured, He was fine both this year and last when they gave him the ball.
Or that Murphy forgot how to throw strikes all of a sudden during that KC series. He’d probably be the guy if his command wasn’t suspect.
With Giolito a virtual lock to post over 140 innings,it will basically allow him to become a free agent. What type of contract will get him signed? Do the Sox offer him a competitive deal?. A couple of top performances in the playoffs could add some big numbers to a deal ….
He’s eligible for a qualifying offer so assuming they think hes worth that much (see bhueler)they will likely offer him that..he may accept in hopes of a longer term deal or he rejects and the sox collect a pick its still a win for both imo
Red Sox have plenty of starting pitching depth for 2026 (Sandoval, Dobbins, Crawford, Drohan, Fitts, Harrison, Criswell, Winckowski and Early; among others). I’d rather they go big game hunting than resign Giolito.
He’s had a really good run lately, but Woodruff, Bieber, Valdez or Cease would be an upgrade.
3/75
Bieber is the one I want them to get.
He says he loves it here… Has to count for something. When it benefits them, ownership is all about value-based deals but then they charge the second highest cost for tickets ($1 less than Dodgers) and assemble rosters filled with lottery picks. Do I want Gio back? Yes. Will he be back? Prob not.
Was the pick for Pivetta this year or upcoming year?? Qualified offer than possibly seeing how the market is.. been very solid and at Fenway remarkable…
the pick was from this year
Henry Godbout at #75 was the pick. He was looking good early before suffering a hamstring injury.
Thanks gentlemen!!! Happy Labor Day!!
Agreed. Godbout is playing again and doing well.
And Gadabout Gaddis is fishing.
3 for $75 million seems reasonable. Will the Sox offer that? Will some other team offer more?? He has been really good the last couple months. Would love to see him as our #4 behind Crochet,Bello ,?????? , Giolito,and then you have a plethora of arms to choose from. Pitching pitching pitching,can never have enough.
Cdchi… man haven’t been this stoked on Redsox home grown pitchers in a while.. future looks very good right now.. praying that Hicks has his Curtis Leskanic moment ( good outing) if needed on a deep run!!!
Seems reasonable, but Gioloto might want a bit more. Manaea got 3/$75 and Severino got 3/$67 coming off of one good year preceded by injuries and/or inconsistency. All three with similar career numbers, but Gio somewhat more consistent overall. . Severino is the same age as Giolito, and Manaea is 2 years older.
But we can’t quantify how the CBA expiring after ’26 might affect some owners’ approaches to free agency this off season.
I would also argue at that price, you’re not paying for a #4. It may work out that way but you expect more for that kind of money. #4 might be Sandoval or another rehab arm. It’s asking a lot but it could also be Tolle.
We could hope Lucas would show the same loyalty we showed him by giving him a chance knowing he wouldnt even pitch year one! But, i believe hes as good as gone.
Honestly, the Sox need two arms, the young guys we keep bringing up never seem to stay healthy.
Gio got hurt after he signed. Liam and Sandoval signed two year deals knowing they’d likely miss the first season.
Id love to trade for Sandy Alcantara this offseason, bring him into the fold would be awfully sweet. Im hoping for the best with Giolitto, but there are always teams needing pitching, it only takes one to throw him the money bag.
Now Kelly and Weissert can compete for “Who can the Sox trust the least?”.
You spelled Jordan Hicks wrong.
Weissert has a 2.98 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and three saves.
Opponents are hitting .230 against him.
He has more holds on the Red Sox than anyone but Whitlock.
These are all good things,
He;s not good when they need him to be good. He coughed up the Tolle game to the Pirates, then the next game struck out the side in a meaningless appearance.
I am pretty sure he has the most appearances too.He is probably hitting the dead arm time of the year.Give him a week off from pitching and his arm should come back.
So, he has the second most holds on the team, and has three saves, a low ERA and WHIP, and the league bats .230 against him ?You know what that means? He’s been good plenty of times when they needed him to be good.
Opponents hit ..204 against him with runners on base.
They hit …208 against him with runners in scoring position.
They hit .194 against him with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Again, this is good.
espn.com/mlb/player/splits/_/id/41485/greg-weisser…
Granted it was bad, it was only one game.
The way Chapman has pitched has to trickle down to others who don’t have to warm up or enter after other closers in the past blew the save. Chapman has had the most dominant second half I’ve ever seen from.a closer.
2013 Uehara
Eck 1989
Both finished with WS rings.
Papelbon’s 2006 and 2007 seasons were nothing to sneeze at, either.
WS ring in ’07.
Chapman has the lowest era and whip of any pitcher that has more than 1 save, and of any pitcher with 4 or more holds. If you include an innings limit, he is lowest in both.
Absolute dominance.
Liverpool just signed another expensive player. Devers’ money? This off season will be telling…
The Red Sox are paying luxury tax this year. I think that’s pretty telling.
Not really All given the amount. When the rules changed and they were competing for championships they ducked under every third year to reset. This is a team that should now compete for years but if the right need fits, will they spend? I don’t believe they were ever seriously in it for Soto. Neither was Toronto. It was always a two team race and both just played up the cost for the NY teams so the “winner” would spend less elsewhere. Henry spends where he sees profit or a strategic benefit. Just my take.
I disagree. I think there were serious about Soto as he fits the type of player they like to sign to long term deals, but once it got that far above $700 million they balked.
Liverpool’s two signings are the two most highest transfer fees paid in Premier League history. They make a ton of money but typically spend more or equal amounts to what they make.
Henry the Fart has gone all out Steinbrenner Sr for Liverpool yet insists on value spending for the team that no longer sells out every game and still yields $120m in profit.
The Red Sox have been paying for Liverpool because there is no way they’d be going to the bank to take out loans to make these signings.
Five days after the World Series ends, we need to add nine players currently on the 60 day IL back to the 40 man roster. This includes, Mayer, Casas, Houck, Crawford, Dobbins, Winckowski, Sandoval, and Guerrero. We don’t plan to pick up Hendricks option.
Plus we would need to add Shane Drohan, Hayden Mullins, David Sandlin and Tyler Uberstine or face losing them in Rule 5 draft.
Roster crunch is upcoming and guys currently on the 40 like Moran, Isaiah Campbell, Grissom, Zack Kelly, Ali Sánchez and Sogard will likely get squeezed out.
Great take..this isn’t talked about enough
Yep. Sogard and also Eaton have some value. Both with more of an opportunity elsewhere could make it in my view. Reminds me of ten years ago with the Ref vs. Swihart talk. I still applaud Ref for persevering. We’ll never know if Swihart could have made it if they never moved him to left. Probably not but that move and injury time should have been spent healthy in the minors.
one thing breslow does is consolidating back of the 40 man players into something else. I could see that happening again with some of these names.
I’d take Hicks off the 40 (if possible).
He’s not even remotely worth that contract, and nobody would be silly enough to pick him up.
The callups are pretty meh right now. But, we kinda in wait mode with the injuries to see with Criswell and Fitts.
Its amazing when you consider the Red Sox lost Houck, Dobbins for the year, then lost Criswell n Fitts and are somehow STILL winning and in not just the wildcard, but right there for the division.
With Peyton Tolle up, and the previously mentioned starters coming back, we will have plenty of depth to even push out May should he falter again.
This team has all the tools to win the world series should we stay healthy.
The players and coaches are pulling off some magic with taking advantage of matchups at every chance, which is covering up for Breslow gifting Devers and his 30/100 season (with a herniated disc) to the Giants.
The AL is open, but the powers that be in the NL are waking up in time for September, and they are hungry for champagne.
Do we have a chance? Yes, every playoff team does. Is it likely? No. I don’t feel this team was built for 2025.
I think our pitching is deeper than anyone else when healthy. Right now, we are kinda up against the wall injury wise. I believe we are misusing Kyle Harrison too, to me i see him as an elite bullpen arm like a Whitlock.
if we can get the two starters back and put Harrison in the bullpen where he belongs imho, we have all the tools to make a big run, including finally a real first baseman with rbi power.
Look how poorly we did when Lowe was out on parternity leave, and how we instantly started scoring again when he returned. Yes, we have injuries, but as Roman may be hurt, we have Abreu coming back.
This is the deepest Red Sox team ive seen in a long time. If we can stay healthy, i love our chances. We are better than you think.