Red Sox Reportedly Considering Reunion With Former Player After Latest Injury

Would Boston bolster their catching depth with a blast from the past?

Scott Neville | Jun 22, 2023

Red Sox Reportedly Considering Reunion With Former Player After Latest Injury /

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The Boston Red Sox lack depth behind the plate and could use an external addition to bolster the group.

Reese McGuire's oblique injury on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins -- which will require an injury list stint -- makes the need much greater.

Could the Red Sox consider the idea of bringing back an old friend whose bat is nothing to brag about but calls games effectively and has a solid defensive game?

"The Red Sox have not ruled out an external addition and are generally always on the prowl for upgrades at all positions, though at this point, the more likelier path includes (Caleb) Hamilton as (Connor) Wong’s backup, according to a source," MassLive's Chris Cotillo wrote Thursday. "Two veteran catchers, including one who is very familiar to the Red Sox, hit the open market Wednesday as the (Texas) Rangers released Sandy León and the (Cleveland) Guardians cut ties with Mike Zunino."

As Cotillo noted, Hamilton is likely already either in Minnesota or on his way. The immediate replacement almost certainly will be him. However, the Red Sox could use an extra major league-ready catcher in the organization and León fits the bill.

The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham floated out the possibility of adding León as well following Wednesday's injury to McGuire.

Calling the game and framing are both important to the game and areas where León thrives. However, Boston might want to look elsewhere to find an addition.

León hit .146 (6-for-44) with two extra-base hits, four RBIs and a horrid .381 OPS in 22 games for the Rangers this season. His defense was not enough to enhance his overall play, as he produced a -0.6 WAR before his release. It's hard to be that bad in such a small sample size.

Unfortunately, the internal option, Hamilton, is playing almost as poorly. The 28-year-old is hitting .180 with seven extra-base hits including three home runs, 13 RBIs and a .594 OPS for Triple-A Worcester.

If you're asking about Zunino, he's been a disaster as well with a -0.9 WAR this season.

The Red Sox need to find a replacement for McGuire externally, possibly via trade, or just accept that they only have eight spots in the lineup capable of producing offensively.

Jorge Alfaro was not a defensive stalwart but is sorely missed at the moment. He joined the Colorado Rockies organization after opting out of his deal with Boston.

More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Could Trade Dynamic Outfielder, Rising Fan Favorite If They Sell

Published Jun 22, 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