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Yasmani Grandal Not Planning To Use Opt-Out In Red Sox Deal

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Veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal has a May 1 opt-out in his minor league contract with the Red Sox. He’ll pass on that chance to return to the open market and remain in the organization despite not being selected to the big league roster today, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. He’ll remain in Triple-A as a depth option for Boston, at least for the time being.

Grandal is out to a nice start in his brief time with the organization. Signed to a minor league pact back on April 10, the 36-year-old has appeared in seven games and gone 6-for-24 with three doubles and a homer in 29 plate appearances. That’s a .250/.379/.500 batting line, which could put him in line for a big league look sooner than later, even if he won’t be called up immediately. Cotillo adds that the Red Sox are expected to be amenable to granting Grandal his release if a big league opportunity presents itself elsewhere.

The switch-hitting Grandal has been a consistent presence in the big leagues dating back to his 2012 debut. He spent the 2024 campaign with the Pirates — his fifth MLB club — and enjoyed a nice season in a part-time role. Appearing in 72 games and tallying 243 plate appearances, Grandal slashed .228/.304/.400 with nine home runs, a 9.9% walk rate, an 18.9% strikeout rate and his customary brand of framing-focused defense behind the plate. He only thwarted six of 72 stolen base attempts against him (8.3%), but he was excellent at manipulating the strike zone and drew positive grades for his ability to block balls in the dirt.

The Red Sox lost starting catcher Connor Wong to a broken finger early in April. That left them with the inexperienced tandem of Carlos Narvaez and Blake Sabol behind the plate. Seby Zavala, their most experienced option in Triple-A prior to signing Grandal, hit the minor league injured list with an oblique strain in mid-April as well. The subsequent results behind the plate have not been pretty. Narvaez is hitting .218/.274/.385 (81 wRC+) in 84 plate appearances. Sabol is hitting .125/.167/.188, albeit in only 18 plate appearances.

Sabol has been used as a true backup to Narvaez, in part because of concerns regarding his glovework. He’s just 1-for-21 in throwing out runners in the majors dating back to 2024 (1-for-11 this season). Narvaez opened the year with similar struggles, but he’s quieted some of the throwing concerns by following up a 1-for-8 start to catch four of the past nine runners who’ve taken off against him.

With or without Grandal, the Sox should have help on the horizon. Wong began a minor league rehab assignment in Triple-A on Sunday and has now appeared in two games. He’ll presumably need several more before he’s cleared to return, but it seems as though he might only end up missing around a month (or perhaps a slight bit more) in total with the injury.

The 28-year-old Wong slogged through an ugly start to the season, hitting just .087/.192/.087 in 26 plate appearances (2-for-23), but he hit .280/.333/.425 as Boston’s primary catcher in 2024. That’s the only season of Wong’s young career in which he’s delivered above-average offense — or even just average offense — over any meaningful sample. He’ll need to prove that wasn’t a fluke, but he’s the best option for the Red Sox for the foreseeable future. If Wong can’t get back to something close to that 2024 form, it’s easy to envision the Red Sox seeking catching help at this summer’s trade deadline. After trading Kyle Teel in the offseason Garrett Crochet blockbuster, Johanfran Garcia is the only catcher among Boston’s top 30 prospects at Baseball America or MLB.com. He’s 20 years old and has yet to play above A-ball.

Red Sox Notes: Wong, Narvaez, Yoshida, Crawford, Anthony

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Connor Wong started a Triple-A rehab assignment today, as the catcher appears to be nearing a return from the left pinkie finger fracture that sent him to the 10-day injured list back on April 8.  Speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith (multiple links) and other reporters today, Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated the team will “play it day by day and we don’t have to rush” Wong, as the backstop will need more than one rehab appearance anyway.

Wong seemingly solidified his place as Boston’s first-choice catcher by hitting .280/.333/.425 with 13 home runs over 487 plate appearances last season.  He was ice-cold at the plate over his first 26 PA of 2025, so this early injury could serve as something of a fresh start for Wong’s season.

Carlos Narvaez has taken the bulk of the catching duties in Wong’s absence, and he has been impressive enough defensively that Cora said Narvaez will continue to get a good share of playing time even when Wong is back on the field.  “I’m not saying we split up the week but [Narvaez] will play a lot,” Cora said.

Known as a defensive specialist even during his time in the minors, Narvaez has lived up to that rep over his brief MLB career.  He has hit only .205/.279/.333 in 86 PA (15 with the Yankees in 2024, 71 with the Red Sox this year), but Narvaez has been outstanding in all facets of catcher-related glovework except for his ability to throw out baserunners.  With the Sox committing to Narvaez and Blake Sabol also on the roster as the current backup, Yasmani Grandal could trigger the May 1 opt-out clause in his minor league contract given the rather crowded path to big-league playing time once Wong is back.

Cora provided updates on some other injured Sox players, including something of a non-update on Masataka Yoshida.  The outfielder/DH began the season on the 10-day IL as he continued his recovery from October shoulder surgery, but though we’re now a month into the 2025 campaign, it doesn’t appear Yoshida is expected back any time in the near future.  Yoshida is still “just taking at-bats down there [at Boston’s Spring Training complex] and his throwing program,” Cora said.

Yoshida was healthy enough to hit during Spring Training but hasn’t been able to play the field, as he continues to build up his arm strength.  Given the amount of time Yoshida has already missed, it stands to reason that a shift to the 60-day IL might come sooner rather than later.  Such a roster move would sideline Yoshida until late May at the earliest, though that might not be an issue given Yoshida’s unsettled timeline.

Kutter Crawford has also yet to play in 2025, but the right-hander continues to make progress in his recovery from right patellar soreness.  Cora said that Crawford is set to throw a bullpen session at Boston’s extended spring camp, and Crawford will then advance to throwing a live batting-practice session later this week.  While Crawford looks to be on track, he might also be a candidate for a 60-day IL move if the Red Sox need the roster space, as the righty will still need to make multiple rehab starts to make up for all of the time he missed during the spring.

Star prospect Roman Anthony had an injury scare on Friday when the outfielder left a Triple-A game early after fouling a ball off his left foot.  X-rays were negative on Anthony’s foot, as Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham said during an appearance on the Baseball Isn’t Boring radio show (hat tip to Rob Bradford), so it appears as though a worst-case scenario has been avoided.

Anthony is day-to-day for now, though all eyes will continue to monitor his status both in the short term and in regards to how any sort of injury might impact his inevitable MLB debut.  Between last season and this season, Anthony has a scorching .332/.459/.545 slash line over 266 Triple-A plate appearances, making it only a matter of time before arguably the sport’s best prospect arrives in Boston.  Where exactly Anthony would fit into a crowded Red Sox outfield has been a hot topic, though needless to say, Anthony might simply force the issue if his initial big-league production is anything close to his Triple-A work.

Latest On Red Sox’ Catching Depth

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Having lost Connor Wong to a broken finger, the Red Sox quickly signed veteran Yasmani Grandal to a minor league deal that includes an opt-out just over two weeks into the contract (May 1). They could continue to explore further options behind the plate in the days ahead, writes MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

At present, the Sox are going with rookie Carlos Narvaez and DFA pickup Blake Sabol behind the plate. Narvaez is hitting .212/.297/.303 in 37 plate appearances. Sabol is 0-for-6 since his recall and is a career .239/.308/.386 hitter in the majors. Narvaez has caught just one of eight runners who’ve attempted to steal against him. Sabol, who has a career 11.7% caught-stealing rate, is 0-for-5 in that regard through his first dozen innings behind the plate with the Sox. Wong has been right in line with league average dating back to 2023 (21.1%). Seby Zavala, the organization’s most experienced option beyond the newly signed Grandal, is hitting .129/.156/.194 through 32 Triple-A plate appearances (2-for-31, 15 strikeouts).

When it comes to free agency, there’s not much in the way of unsigned catchers. Grandal was one of very few unsigned players of note. Fellow veteran Yan Gomes also went unsigned this offseason, though it’s not clear he’s even looking to play after being released by the Cubs last June. He didn’t sign with another team for the remainder of the 2024 campaign, either.

Catchers Curt Casali and Chadwick Tromp were both released by the Braves over the past month. Neither has signed with a new team, and both struggled this spring. Casali, a veteran of 11 big league seasons, hasn’t hit much since 2022 and was hitless in 15 spring plate appearances. Tromp hit .147/.171/.176 in 35 spring plate appearances and was hitless in six regular season plate appearances. He has a limited big league track record but did go 5-for-17 in catching base thieves last year (29.4%). Kyle McCann, who hit .236/.318/.371 for the A’s in 157 plate appearances last year, was also released last month and remains unsigned.

Given that lack of free agent options, it’s not a surprise that Cotillo suggests the trade market as an option. Many veterans have upward mobility clauses in their minor league contracts with current teams. Others will have opt-out dates late this month or early next — similar to Grandal — and could be flipped for cash if they’re planning to opt out anyhow. Among the veteran depth options playing with other organizations’ Triple-A affiliates right now are Tucker Barnhart (Rangers), Andrew Knizner (Nationals), Luke Maile (Royals), James McCann (Braves) and Austin Nola (Rockies), just to name a few.

The Red Sox still haven’t provided an exact timetable on Wong’s return from injury. The 28-year-old batted .280/.333/.425 last year in what has been his lone productive season at the MLB level to date. He followed up that breakout showing with a 2-for-23 start to the 2025 season prior to sustaining that fractured finger.

If Wong has any setbacks or struggles with the bat upon returning from a hand injury of some note, it stands to reason that catching help could be a target for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow this summer. Johanfran Garcia is the only catcher generally considered among the top 30 prospects in Boston’s system after trading Kyle Teel in the Garrett Crochet swap, and Garcia was limited to 14 games in A-ball last year after requiring season-ending knee surgery.

Red Sox To Place Connor Wong On Injured List With Broken Finger

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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.

Red Sox Acquire Carlos Narvaez From Yankees

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The Red Sox acquired catcher Carlos Narváez from the Yankees for minor league pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool space. Boston designated infielder Enmanuel Valdez for assignment to open the necessary 40-man roster spot.

Narváez, 26, is a depth catcher who has been on New York’s 40-man roster since last offseason. The Venezuela native reached the majors for the first time in July. He appeared in six games, collecting three singles and two walks in 15 plate appearances. Narváez had a good year in Triple-A, hitting .254/.370/.412 with 20 doubles and 11 home runs through 403 plate appearances. He walked at an excellent 13.9% clip while striking out 26.1% of the time.

The righty-hitting Narváez strikes out a lot, but he walks enough to reach base at a solid rate. Connor Wong was the only catcher on Boston’s 40-man roster. Narváez is now the favorite for the backup job by default, though the Sox will probably look for a more established veteran in the coming months. Narváez has a pair of minor league options and could begin next season at Triple-A Worcester.

New York had five catchers on the 40-man roster. Austin Wells and Jose Trevino form the MLB duo. J.C. Escarra, who finished the season in Triple-A, secured a 40-man spot at the end of the season. Carrying Narváez and Escarra was redundant, so the Yanks cash in the former to take a flier on a young pitcher.

Rodriguez-Cruz, 21, was Boston’s fourth-round pick three years ago. The 6’3″ righty has worked as a starter in the low minors. Rodriguez-Cruz had a nice season between Low-A and High-A, working to a 2.91 ERA with a 27.2% strikeout percentage across 89 2/3 innings. The Puerto Rico native issued free passes at a lofty 11.5% clip. He’ll need to dial in his command if he’s to stick as a starter. He’s an intriguing developmental flier for the Yankees to land for a player who was at the back of the roster.

New York also picks up an undisclosed amount of money it can use to sign an international amateur before the end of the signing period on Sunday. To be clear, the signing bonus space is unrelated to Roki Sasaki. The Japanese star will be part of next year’s amateur class. Teams cannot trade for 2025 bonus allotments until that signing period begins on January 15.

Valdez gets pushed off the roster after a disappointing season. The lefty-hitting infielder posted a .214/.270/.363 slash with six homers through 223 plate appearances. That’s a big drop from last year’s intriguing .266/.311/.453 showing over 49 games as a rookie. Valdez spent a good portion of the season in Worcester, where he had a league average .233/.330/.446 line in 50 contests.

Boston has five days to trade Valdez or put him on waivers. He still has a minor league option remaining and has a career .254/.345/.473 line over parts of three Triple-A seasons. Between that and his ability to bounce between second and third base, there’s a good chance he’ll find a new home within the next week.

AL East Notes: Refsnyder, Bichette, Lowe, Coulombe, Trevino

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Rob Refsnyder turns 34 next March, and the utilityman is considering calling it a career after the 2024 season comes to an end.  Speaking with Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, Refsnyder said he is “undecided” about returning for what would be his tenth MLB season, and was even thinking about retirement even before he joined the Red Sox during the 2021-22 offseason.  Once this year is over, Refsnyder said he’ll “take it step by step from there and decide what I do….You can still make a big impact not being in a uniform and it’s a lot easier for your family and their schedule.”

As per the terms of the contract extension Refsnyder signed in June 2023, the Sox hold a $2MM club option ($150K) on his services for 2025.  This option looks like a lock to be exercised if Refsnyder wishes to keep playing, as he has an excellent .298/.384/.472 slash line over 251 plate appearances in part-time duty for the Red Sox this season.  Still, Refsnyder is eager to spend more time with his family, and is perhaps keen to start working towards his longer-term goal of working in a front office.

Other items from around the AL East…

  • Bue Jays manager John Schneider gave MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters an update on Bo Bichette, noting that the shortstop has started to increase baseball activities while working out at the Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin.  A timeline isn’t yet in place this early in Bichette’s recovery from a right calf strain, as the club will monitor his progress in the coming days or weeks before deciding on a possible rehab assignment.   Bichette suffered the calf strain on July 19 in Toronto’s 5-4 loss to the Tigers, continuing an all-around disastrous season that has seen Bichette bat only .223/.276/.321 over 330 plate appearances.  The former All-Star’s struggles are one of several reasons why the Blue Jays are out of the playoff race, and if Bichette isn’t showing progress in relatively short order, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Jays just shut him down for the remainder of the season.
  • 2024 is the last guaranteed season of the six-year, $24MM extension Brandon Lowe signed with the Rays prior to Opening Day 2019, but Tampa still has a pair of club options ($10.5MM with a $1MM buyout for 2025, $11.5MM for 2026 with a $500K buyout) covering Lowe’s immediate future.  “Whether they pick up the option or they don’t, I feel like I’m putting myself in a good position to still be on a team next year,” Lowe told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, but Lowe noted that playing with the Rays “is all I know.  I like it here.  My friends are here.  We have a house here.  It’s comfortable.  I don’t know anything else.  I know this.”  Given how the Rays dealt a number of higher-priced veterans at the deadline, Topkin figures that Lowe’s continued presence on the roster means that the team will exercise the 2025 option and keep Lowe in Tampa Bay for an eighth season.  Lowe is more than doing his part at the plate to sway the Rays’ mind, as he is hitting .248/.330/.488 with 14 homers over 282 PA.
  • Danny Coulombe is “on track” in his rehab process and is aiming to return in late September, the Orioles left-hander told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko.  Coulombe is on the 60-day IL after undergoing surgery in June to remove bone spurs from his left elbow.  While he is still a few weeks away from getting onto a mound, Coulombe is up to throwing from 90 feet in games of catch.  The Orioles’ bullpen has struggled badly in August, leaving Baltimore in even greater need for whatever the ace setup man can provide whenever he is able to return to action.
  • The Yankees activated catcher Jose Trevino from the 10-day injured list on Friday, and Carlos Narvaez was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Yesterday’s game marked Trevino’s first action since a left quad strain forced him out of the Yankees’ 4-1 win over the Orioles on July 12.  Trevino figures to resume his catching platoon with Austin Wells, though Wells’ hot bat over the last month might have earned him a larger share of the playing time.

Yankees Place Jose Trevino On 10-Day IL With Grade 2 Quad Strain

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TODAY: Trevino has been diagnosed with a grade 2 quad strain and will be out for “some time,” Aaron Boone told reporters (including Brendan Kuty of The Athletic) this afternoon.

July 13: Catcher Jose Trevino has been placed on the Yankees’ 10-day injured list due to a left quad strain, the team announced prior to today’s game.  Carlos Narvaez was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and will now share catching duties with Austin Wells until Trevino recovers.

The injury occurred late in Friday’s 4-1 Yankees win over the Orioles, when Trevino slid home while scoring a run in the ninth inning.  Manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Greg Joyce of the New York Post) today that a timeline isn’t yet known for Trevino’s return, as the catcher has returned to New York to undergo testing.

The lefty-righty platoon of Trevino and Wells have split the playing time almost as evenly as possible this season, as both players entered Saturday with exactly 59 games and 186 plate appearances apiece.  Trevino has been the slightly more productive of the two at the plate, with eight homers and a .244/.303/.411 slash line to Wells’ five home runs and .219/.312/.369 slash.

This translates to a 103 wRC+ for Trevino and a 97 wRC+ for Wells, and while Wells has been a strong defender in his own right, Trevino has continued to post his typical elite framing and blocking numbers.  While the Yankees might’ve preferred to see a former top-100 prospect like Wells have a bigger breakout in his first full Major League season, Trevino’s steady veteran presence and glovework has been a big boost to the team.

More will be known about Trevino’s recovery timeline once tests are complete, but if he is going to miss an extended period of time, it’ll put more pressure on Wells and rookie Narvaez to keep things steady at the catching position.  (Narvaez was briefly called up to the 26-man roster earlier this season but didn’t receive any in-game action, so he has yet to make his MLB debut.)  Ben Rice could be an option for some catching duty, though Rice has only caught one inning in his own rookie season, and New York will need him more pressingly at first base while Anthony Rizzo is out.  Depending on how long Trevino is out, the Yankees might now consider adding some veteran catching depth at the trade deadline, or perhaps sign an experienced backup to play ahead of Narvaez.

Yankees Recall Carlos Narváez For MLB Debut

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The Yankees announced today that outfielder Alex Verdugo has been placed on the paternity list. Catcher Carlos Narváez was recalled in a corresponding move. The backstop will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Narváez, 25, was initially signed by the Yankees as an amateur out of Venezuela. He has since climbed the rungs of the minor league ladder, going down on strikes a fair bit but also drawing a fair number of walks and launching a few home runs.

He got into 100 games last year between Double-A and Triple-A, stepping to the plate 419 times. He struck out in 25.8% of those trips but also walked in 15.3% of them and hit 12 long balls. That resulted in a combined slash line of .239/.370/.397, good for a wRC+ of 101.

At the end of last year, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Narváez as the #32 prospect in the club’s system. He noted that the strikeouts will probably become too much of a problem for the backstop to be an impact hitter in the majors, as he’s especially vulnerable to high fastballs. However, Longenhagen gives praise to Narváez for his strength with controlling the running game and “fair” work in terms of receiving and blocking.

The Yanks added Narváez to their 40-man roster in November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. They haven’t needed his services at the major league level with Jose Trevino and Austin Wells sharing the catching duties. Narváez has also seen some limited time at the infield corners, which could give him more opportunity to get into a game before Verdugo comes back. He’s currently hitting .211/.376/.342 at Triple-A this year, walking in 18.8% of his plate appearances.

Paternity list stints have a maximum length of three days, though players sometimes get transferred to the restricted list if they need to stay with their families for a bit longer. With Verdugo gone, the Yanks still have plenty of ability to cover the outfield between Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, Giancarlo Stanton, Taylor Trammell and Jahmai Jones.

Yankees Select Carlos Narvaez

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The Yankees announced today that the club has selected the contract of catcher Carlos Narvaez. In addition, outfielders Franchy Cordero and Billy McKinney as well as right-handers Domingo German, Jimmy Cordero, Matt Bowman, and Ryan Weber have all elected free agency after rejecting outright assignments from earlier this week.

It’s an early birthday present for Narvaez, who turns 25 in a few weeks. A right-handed hitter, he signed with the Yankees as an amateur from Venezuela before the 2016 season. The cousin of Mets catcher Omar Narvaez, Carlos has spent the past seven years in the Yankee system. He didn’t reach Low-A until 2021 but has posted respectable numbers over the past couple years — albeit with a three true outcomes approach.

Narvaez opened this year in Double-A but spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He hit .240/.373/.387 with 10 home runs across 84 games for the RailRiders. Narvaez walked in a huge 15.3% of his plate appearances but struck out more than a quarter of the time. He has routinely posted strikeout rates approaching 30% in the minors, generally limiting his batting average.

The ability to draw free passes and bring some power from behind the plate is clearly still intriguing to the New York front office. Narvaez has spent parts of seven seasons in the minors, meaning he would have become a minor league free agent were he not added to the 40-man roster. He joins Kyle Higashioka, Jose Trevino, Ben Rortvedt and prospect Austin Wells in what has become a crowded catching mix. Narvaez can be sent to Triple-A for the foreseeable future, as he’ll be in his first of three minor league option years in 2024.

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