Red Sox Could Snag New Backup Catcher From Dodgers In Crucial Trade

Are the Boston Red Sox overworking Carlos Narváez?

Boston might need to bring in another catcher before the deadline to spell Narváez, especially given the Connor Wong situation.

Despite Wong’s defensive improvements, his offensive struggles this season (when healthy) have weighed heavily on the lineup.

The door could be open for a new backup catcher.

Enter Hunter Feduccia, a 28-year-old player in the Los Angeles Dodgers system who could be the perfect trade target to bolster Boston’s roster.

Feduccia, a six-foot-one, 215-pound left-handed hitter, has shown promise in limited major league action, going 4-for-14 (.286) with two home runs and three walks. In Triple-A this season, he’s posted an impressive .302/.402/.440 slash line with a 123 wRC+ across 48 games.

Feduccia's underlying metrics are equally encouraging: a 90 mph average exit velocity, 104 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity, 46 percent hard-hit rate, and a 22 percent whiff rate. Against right-handed pitchers, Feduccia has excelled in the minors, boasting OPS figures of .983, .892, and .880 over the past three seasons, making him an ideal platoon option.

Defensively, Feduccia offers decent athleticism and versatility, with experience at first base in the majors. His skill set draws comparisons to Narváez, though he’s never cracked the Dodgers’ top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline. Still, his consistent minor league production and two remaining minor league options make him an attractive, cost-controlled asset at the league minimum salary.

For the Dodgers, Feduccia is expendable. With Will Smith entrenched as their starter and top prospect Dalton Rushing already platooning in the majors, there’s no clear path to playing time.

Trading Feduccia for a need—perhaps a pitcher like Walker Buehler or an infielder like Vaughn Grissom—makes sense for Los Angeles, especially with Miguel Rojas aging and underperforming in the final year of his deal.

For Boston, Feduccia would slide seamlessly into the backup catcher role, offering offensive upside over Wong and flexibility for manager Alex Cora to experiment with lineup configurations.

A potential one-for-one swap involving Grissom, or a larger deal including Buehler, could address both teams’ needs.

As Boston pushes for the playoffs, Feduccia could be the under-the-radar addition that makes a difference.