Red Sox Land Ex-Mets Catcher To Bolster Organizational Depth
The Boston Red Sox haven't made a massive move yet this offseason, but they have added depth throughout the organization.
One area the club has looked to bolster is the catcher position. Boston seemingly is set at the big league level with Connor Wong and Reese McGuire but the club has made other moves to add options at the minor league level.
Boston continued to add and landed catcher Tyler Heineman in a trade with the New York Mets on Friday in exchange for cash considerations, according to the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham.
"The Sox purchased catcher Tyler Heineman from the Mets," Abraham said. "Right-handed reliever Max Castillo was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Heineman, 32, was designated for assignment by the Mets Tuesday. He is a career .218 hitter over parts of four seasons with the (Miami Marlins), (San Francisco Giants), (Pittsburgh Pirates), and (Toronto Blue Jays).
"A switch hitter, Heineman appeared in 22 major league games last season for Toronto and Pittsburgh and had a .670 OPS in 42 Triple-A games. Heineman joins Reese McGuire and Connor Wong as catchers on the 40-man roster. The team also invited Nathan Hickey, Mark Kolozsvary, Roberto Pérez, and Stephen Scott to spring training."
Heineman may not have the strongest bat in the game, but he is very solid defensively. It's unclear what type of role he will play with Boston, but he's a solid player to have at the Triple-A level and to fill in as needed in the big leagues.
The Red Sox struggled as a team defensively last season so it doesn't hurt to add more depth with solid defensive upside.
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