Red Sox Would Be Wise To Target Silver Slugger Catcher Amid World Series Run

Boston could use a jolt behind the plate

Scott Neville | Oct 24, 2023

Red Sox Would Be Wise To Target Silver Slugger Catcher Amid World Series Run /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are going to have to make some notable roster changes in order to climb back into contention after a last-place finish in the loaded American League East.

While the emphasis certainly remains on the pitching staff, Boston will look at how to get more out of just about every position on the diamond, including behind the plate.

Catchers Connor Wong and Reese McGuire were far from the issue last season, largely due to the former's emergence both offensively and with his incredible ability to nab baserunners all season long.

Wong certainly should be in the fold next season but McGuire's spot is a little less certain.

McGuire hit .267 with 14 extra-base hits including one home run, 16 RBIs and a .668 OPS (80 OPS+) in 72 games this season. For a backup catcher that production is more than sufficient.

However, the team could really make the position a strength by adding a former Silver Slugger currently in pursuit of a World Series Championship.

Texas Ranger catcher Mitch Garver is set to hit free agency in a few weeks and would be a great player to pair with Wong next season.

The 32-year-old hit .270 with 30 extra-base hits including 19 home runs, 50 RBIs and a .870 OPS (134 OPS+) in 87 games during the regular season. Despite playing part-time behind All-Star catcher Jonah Heim, Garver has racked up 2.1 bWAR. For perspective, McGuire posted a -0.2 bWAR.

Garver has paired that production with a strong postseason. He's hitting .294 (10-for-34) with four extra-base hits including two home runs, 11 RBIs and a .898 OPS in nine games.

People have speculated that the Red Sox could non-tender McGuire this offseason to free up somewhere in the range of $1.5 to $2 million. If they do not plan to upgrade heavily at the position, that does not make much sense.

McGuire is about as good of a low-budget platoon option out there. However, Boston could create a dynamic pairing by placing Wong with Garver together. Manager Alex Cora would lose his perfect platoon -- both are right-handed hitters -- but would have a much more impactful duo behind the plate.

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Published Oct 24, 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