The Red Sox have released catcher Roberto Perez, as noted by Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com. Perez signed a minor league deal with the club back in December but has spent the entire regular season on the injured list in the minors.
A veteran of 10 big league seasons, Perez is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner who has routinely been considered one of the best defensive catchers in the sport throughout his career. Unfortunately, the 35-year-old has struggled badly with injury woes in recent years after being a regular presence in the Cleveland lineup during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The veteran was limited to just 44 games in 2021 by a fractured finger and a shoulder strain, a reality that allowed Austin Hedges to jump him on Cleveland’s depth chart.
Perez became a free agent for the first time after the 2021 season, but his injury woes have only gotten worse since then. He found a big league deal with the Pirates headed into 2022 but ultimately appeared in just 21 games before hamstring problems ended his season in early May. The following winter Perez latched on with the Giants on a non-roster pact and earned a spot on the club’s staff with a strong spring training. Unfortunately, the veteran made it just five games into the regular season before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair the rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Between those injuries and now the undisclosed issue that has plagued Perez this year, the 35-year-old has stepped up to the plate in official games just 86 times since the end of the 2021 season.
For a veteran catcher in his mid-30s, the lengthy string of injuries is a concerning one, although it’s worth noting that his limited regular season and spring training appearances have generally shown him to still be a solid defensive catcher when healthy. On the other hand, he’s been nothing short of atrocious at the plate following a roughly league average 2019 season, slashing just .169/.268/.288 with a wRC+ of 58 in 357 plate appearances at the big league level since then.
Even so, it would hardly be a shock for a catching-needy club to take a look at Perez on a minor league deal if he can get healthy enough to contribute in the second half, given the importance of catching depth and the veteran’s sterling defensive reputation. As for Boston, the club remains deep in catching depth behind their primary tandem of Connor Wong and Reese McGuire even after parting ways with Perez; Tyler Heineman is on the 40-man roster as an optionable depth piece, while Mark Kolozsvary provides additional, non-roster depth with big league experience at the Triple-A level.
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It’s been a busy summer for New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, having watched several pitchers and the team’s primary third baseman fall victim to lengthy IL stints. Cashman has at least three holes to repair, but who can the Yankees deal to land some worthwhile replacements? Among New York's trade chips that have been frequently mentioned as of recent is outfielder Spencer Jones. Whether for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez or Pittsburgh Pirates' Mitch Keller, several rumors have suggested a package involving Jones, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect and purported “left-handed Aaron Judge.” Up until this season, Jones had struggled to live up to his monstrous expectations, which made him rather undesirable in prior trade discussions. But whereas many teams and writers saw him as a hard pass in trade talks over the offseason, Jones has now become a hot commodity. Off to a scorching start in Triple-A (.408/.470/.901 with 10 home runs in just 17 games entering Wednesday), Jones has compiled a head-turning .313/.412/.683 stat line with a career-high 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 246 at-bats across Double and Triple-A this season. With his awe-striking power finally producing some results, Jones has become a top-of-the-line trade chip. However, this doesn’t mean the Yankees should consider trading him. Why not? Center field-related uncertainty Yankees’ center fielder, Cody Bellinger, has played well in pinstripes this year which raises the topic of his player option for next season. In addition, since he is getting paid more than his option is worth next year, chances are he decides to try the free-agent market. If Bellinger does leave, center field will be wide open as Trent Grisham will also likely test free agency after this season. Unlike Jones, neither Judge nor Jasson Dominguez have displayed the aptitude necessary to capably play the position. The Yankees’ shallow depth will also prove to be a challenge for finding a replacement. If Bellinger does stay, he can slide into first base while Jones takes over at center. But whether he decides to stay or go, Bellinger will be a free agent after the 2026 season. Trade value Jones’ numbers are on fire, but his trade value has yet to catch up, due to his unstable track record. Nonetheless, using a prospect of Jones’ caliber (along with others) to land someone like Keller (career 4.43 ERA), for example, or any similar player would equate to mismanagement. Given his torrid stretch this year, there is a good chance Jones lives up to his stunning potential. Selling him for a fraction of his future worth would be regrettable. Yankees’ current situation The Yankees are without Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt for the year and many others sit on the IL alongside them. This deficiency could be offset by acquiring some rentals, namely Suarez. However, as the risk with all rentals, Suárez will likely test free agency at the end of the season. Unless the Yankees extend or sign him, he won’t share the same side of the field with Cole or Schmidt (while active). If they can land Suarez without trading Jones, all would be well for the Yankees. If not, this could be a case of mortgaging the future to improve a very gloomy present. In the end, it may be better to have Jones’ bat backing Cole over the next three years rather than Suárez’s bat backing Will Warren this year. If the Yankees are dealing for rentals at the deadline, it’s best to leave Jones out of it.
The Minnesota Vikings have their quarterback of the future in J.J. McCarthy and it didn't take him long to make an impact. During the first practice when they went into team drills, McCarthy fired up a 60-yard bomb to wide receiver Jordan Addison and hit him in stride. This is the first of many highlights that Vikings fans will be expecting to see over the course of the entire season. With major weapons on the outside in Addison, Justin Jefferson, and T.J. Hockenson paired with Kevin O'Connell's offense, it should become commonplace. One of the biggest things that concerned me when the Vikings selected McCarthy was his deep ball. It was far from consistent with some issues in both accuracy and the ball dying in the air. Some of that was due to his mechanics, which seem to have been improved considerably. Over the course of last offseason, the Vikings made a conscious effort to improve his mechanics and it all looks good so far. The biggest issue was how much McCarthy kicked out his right leg on his follow through. It's significantly more under control now, and it looks to be making an impact. My scouting report from when McCarthy came out highlights just that. Deep accuracy isn't consistent for McCarthy. Too often the ball either dies on him or it's poorly placed. Did have the second-highest completion percentage over 20 yards, but throws of 40+ yards are where the issue lies. He is lethal in the 10-30 yard range The intermediate game is where things are going to be massively impactful. McCarthy is lethal in that range, including how head coach Kevin O'Connell likes to run his offense. The amount of in-breaking routes he loves to call suits McCarthy to a T. Will this translate to the game? There's no reason to believe it won't be. For now, just be excited about what could be.
Rafael Devers played first base for the San Francisco Giants for the first time on Tuesday, and his quote about playing the field likely will not sit well with Boston Red Sox fans. Devers said after Tuesday’s game that he prefers playing in the field as opposed to serving as a designated hitter. “It keeps me active. It keeps my head out of just thinking about the next at-bat,” Devers said, via Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’d rather be on the field than in the cage hitting all the time and thinking about the next at-bat.” Devers, of course, refused to play first base for the Red Sox after they asked him to. He felt disrespected after they moved him off third base to accommodate Alex Bregman, and thought the team went back on its word by later asking him to play first. To Red Sox fans, if Devers is best playing in the field and playing first would have helped the team, it will be baffling why he did not just do it when that would seemingly have been a preferable outcome for all involved. Devers went 2-for-5 in Tuesday’s 9-0 win over the Atlanta Braves, driving in a run in his first appearance at first base. It remains unclear how frequently the Giants plan to use him at the position, but the team might take note of these comments.
The Chicago Blackhawks, a crowded goaltending situation and trade rumors involving the Edmonton Oilers have fans wondering if the Stars' rivals could soon upgrade their crease before training camp. With training camp approaching, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has five goalies under contract, including Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom, Drew Commesso, newly signed Stanislav Berezhnoy, and veteran Laurent Brossoit. Only two NHL roster spots are available, which has fueled speculation that Brossoit could be moved to a contender, with Edmonton emerging as a leading candidate. For Stars fans, seeing the Oilers potentially bolster their crease should raise eyebrows. Edmonton, fresh off a deep playoff run, is looking to avoid the same issues that hurt them late in the postseason. "The Blackhawks have too many goalies and not enough spots, and Brossoit's contract and experience make him a natural trade chip for a team like the Oilers."-Julien Trekker Chicago's goalie logjam and Berezhnoy's recent signing are detailed further at NHL.com. Dallas could see its rival upgrade as Blackhawks explore trading Laurent Brossoit Brossoit, 32, carries a $3.3 million cap hit for one more season. Drafted by Calgary in 2011, he's appeared in 140 NHL games, including time with Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas, where he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. While Chicago decides, Drew Commesso continues to push for NHL time after posting a .911 save percentage over 39 AHL games. For a deeper look at Commesso's performance, his full profile is on Elite Prospects. I think if Edmonton lands Brossoit or even Commesso, Dallas may have to plan around a deeper Oilers team come playoff time, especially given how tight the Western race looks on paper.
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