Red Sox officially sign catcher for 2026 season

Back in early 2020, the Boston Red Sox traded away superstar Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This move will go down as one of the more lopsided trades in the history of MLB. The Los Angeles Dodgers have won three titles with Betts for his fourth in his career.

The return package did not pan out, as Alex Verdugo went to the New York Yankees after three seasons in Boston, and Jeter Downs was DFA’d in 2022. Catcher Connor Wong is the only player to really make an impact from the trade, and the Red Sox are hoping he can become a consistent catcher to heal some wounds.

Wong will enter year six with the Sox. 2025 was a down year compared to a highly respectable 2024 season, where he hit .280 with 13 home runs, .758 OPS, and had 125 total hits from the catcher position. He followed that up this past season by only playing in 63 games, hitting just .190 with zero home runs and only eight doubles. His -0.6 WAR was the worst of his career. Carlos Navarez emerged as the starting catcher last year, but recently underwent surgery on his knee about a month ago.

Wong will get another chance to become the starting catcher in Boston. The Sox officially signed him to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration.

The Red Sox will enter the 2026 season with very high expectations after the season they just had. Boston has been making a few trades to improve the roster and may continue to do so before Spring Training. This team is just a few players away from being a serious contender.