Red Sox claim Ali Sánchez off waivers from Blue Jays

Sánchez, signed to a minor-league contract over the winter, enjoyed two separate stints with the Blue Jays this season. He was most recently up with the big-league club after Alejandro Kirk suffered a concussion last month, and briefly remained in the majors after Tyler Heineman took a hard foul tip off his catcher’s mask — but luckily avoided the IL.

The right-handed-hitting backstop had spent most of 2025 at triple-A Buffalo, appearing in 54 games with the Bisons. But with Toronto acquiring catching prospect Brandon Valenzuela from San Diego ahead of last week’s trade deadline, they could afford to offload a bit of depth behind the plate now that Kirk and Heineman have each returned.

Sánchez logged 21 plate appearances with the Blue Jays, recording five hits — including two doubles — with a pair of runs scored while striking out five times without earning a walk. He also made five starts at catcher, compiling 48 innings.

Toronto’s triple-A catching depth now includes Valenzuela (who isn’t on the 40-man roster and is Rule 5-eligible this fall), veteran Christian Bethancourt and Phil Clarke (who returned from the development list on Thursday).