Drew Ehrhard joins Red Sox as bullpen catcher

Red Sox minor leaguer Drew Ehrhard has retired from playing and joined the big league club as a bullpen catcher, as was first reported by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Ehrhard, 27, has been in the Red Sox organization since signing as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Tampa (where he played six years) in July 2023. The Florida native is effectively replacing catching coordinator Parker Guinn, who has moved from his role as a bullpen catcher to the dugout, where he will assist with PitchCom and other tasks under interim manager Chad Tracy.

Before joining the Red Sox’ new-look coaching staff in the wake of Alex Cora’s stunning ouster over the weekend, Ehrhard had spent the first month of the 2026 season at Double-A Portland. In 11 games for the Sea Dogs, the right-handed hitter batted .132/.227/.316 with one double, two home runs, eight RBIs, five runs scored, one stolen base, four walks, and 10 strikeouts across 45 plate appearances. He made eight starts at first base and two at DH, adding two relief appearances on the mound as well.

In parts of four minor league seasons between the Florida Complex League, High-A Greenville, and Portland, Ehrhard slashed .233/.306/.376 with 15 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 39 RBIs, 39 runs scored, five stolen bases, 28 walks, and 76 strikeouts over 104 career games (363 plate appearances). Defensively, the 5-foot-9, 185-pounder made 42 starts at first base and DH, along with two at second base. He also appeared in three games behind the plate, where he did not have an opportunity to throw out a base stealer, and nine on the mound, compiling a 3.60 ERA with one strikeout and no walks in 10 innings of relief.

With Portland last season, Ehrhard had the chance to play alongside his younger brother, Zach, before the latter was traded to the Dodgers in late July. The elder Ehrhard was also recognized as the Sea Dogs’ 2025 Charlie Eshbach Citizen of the Year for “displaying an even stronger testament to the impact that players can have on an organization both on and off the field.”

Ehrhard joins Charlie Madden as one of two bullpen catchers on the Red Sox’ coaching staff. Similar to Ehrhard, Madden — a former 24th-round draft pick out of Mercer in 2017 — played three seasons in the minor leagues before spending most of 2021 on Boston’s taxi squad. He was then brought on as a bullpen catcher following his release in March 2022.