Red Sox Surprisingly Linked To Ex-Yankees All-Star Slugger By Insider

The unlikeliest of right-handed hitting options?

Jul 4, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez (7) holds a catchers mask before the game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It could not be more obvious that the Boston Red Sox need to find some right-handed hitting this winter. But where will they turn to look for it?

Not only was the Red Sox's lineup very overreliant on left-handed bats this season, but the imbalance looks to be getting worse moving forward. Team home run leader Tyler O'Neill, a righty, is about to become a free agent, while most of the Red Sox's top prospects are lefties.

One of those lefties is 22-year-old catcher Kyle Teel, who seems to be the heir apparent to the starting job in Boston. Whether that will happen in 2025 remains to be seen, but the former first-round pick clearly has a world of talent.

If Teel isn't ready to go by Opening Day, however, the Red Sox will have to figure out who their second catcher will be behind Connor Wong. Danny Jansen, who Boston acquired at the 2024 trade deadline, looks to be headed out of town in free agency.

One insider believes a former arch-rival could be just the fix Boston needs. Chris Cotillo of MassLive named longtime New York Yankees backstop Gary Sánchez as a fit this winter for the catching-hungry Red Sox.

"Veteran free agents on the board include... Gary Sánchez (a winter target last year)," Cotillo said. "It makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox to sign someone in that mold, especially if Teel begins the year at Triple-A. They’ll need to restock the cupboard at Worcester regardless."

There was a time when the very thought of Sánchez signing with the Red Sox would have seemed preposterous. He was a two-time All-Star with the Yankees, clubbed 105 home runs in his first 3 1/2 seasons in New York, and tormented the Red Sox with 19 home runs against them through the years.

Now, though, Sánchez is just trying to prove he still deserves a spot in the big leagues. And if he's going to land anywhere, a spot like Boston likely makes the most sense, given their needs for right-handed power and an insurance policy behind the plate.

Plus, isn't the thought of Gary Sánchez coming back to haunt the Yankees in a big game reason enough to take a swing? Sometimes, there's nothing sweeter than a longtime adversary becoming an ally.

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