Red Sox Face Tough Call With Catcher Depth
Ali Sanchez’s arrival has created a roster puzzle for the Boston Red Sox.
“Yes, Ali Sanchez — added to the 40-man roster yesterday — is out of options,” Ian Browne of MLB.com wrote Friday on X. “The only path I can see for him on the current Red Sox roster would be sending (David) Hamilton down.”
Boston claimed the 28-year-old catcher off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday while Carlos Narváez manages right knee soreness. Sanchez has spent most of the year with Triple-A Buffalo, where he posted a .279 average, .766 OPS and six home runs in 54 games. He has also appeared in eight games for Toronto this season, adding five hits and two doubles.
Manager Alex Cora confirmed before Friday’s game that Sanchez’s role hinges on Narváez’s health.
“There’s a lot of conversations what we’re gonna do, whenever we make the transaction, so we’ll get there,” Cora told reporters, per Browne. “Talked to Bres this morning, with some of the assistant GMs, and whatever we decide, we decide.” Cora added that Narváez could return as soon as Sunday.
If Narváez avoids the injured list, Boston’s options could get complicated. Sending down catcher Connor Wong is technically possible since he has minor league options, but moving utility infielder David Hamilton seems to be more plausible as Browne’s reporting indicates.
Hamilton, recalled July 25 after Marcelo Mayer’s injury, is hitting .176 with three home runs in 68 games for Boston this season.
Narváez, who was hurt running to first base Tuesday against Kansas City, said testing showed no structural damage. He told reporters Friday he felt “way better” after baseball activities, according to MassLive’s Christopher Smith, and noted the next two days would be key in determining his status.
The Red Sox wrap up its three-game set in San Diego on Sunday afternoon, with Narváez’s recovery likely to dictate roster moves ahead of a three-game series against the Houston Astros in Texas.