Red Sox Catcher Elects Free Agency In Effort To Make MLB Roster Elsewhere

Boston loses a fairly important depth piece as the month turns over

Scott Neville | Jun 1, 2023

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox reportedly lost some organization depth on Thursday due to a stipulation in the slugger's contract.

A player who quickly became a fan favorite in Boston due to his immense power, flare for the dramatic and physical comparisons to Jason Momoa is set to leave the Red Sox organization.

"Jorge Alfaro is opting out of his deal with the Red Sox and testing free agency," MassLive's Chris Cotillo tweeted Thursday.

Alfaro signed a minor-league deal with a June 1 opt-out in order to increase his odds of making a big-league roster this season.

The Red Sox have 48 hours to add him onto the active roster but there is no need for a third catcher in Boston unless they plan on using Alfaro as a designated hitter. Given Justin Turner's production in the role, that seems unlikely.

Alfaro hit .320 with 21 extra-base hits including six home runs, 30 RBIs and a .887 OPS in 42 games for the WooSox this season. The offensive production is enticing but his defense is widely regarded as a liability, even after being mentored by Jason Varitek throughout spring training.

The sense was that Alfaro would opt out of the deal, which he now has done. Barring an unexpected roster move, Alfaro's time in the Red Sox organization is over.

More MLB: Former Red Sox Slugger Becoming Solid Trade Chip Amid Hot Stretch In Worcester

Published Jun 1, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu