Red Sox Suddenly Lose Veteran Catcher to White Sox

Aug 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Raymond Burgos (79) and catcher Jake Rogers (46) react after defeating the Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Red Sox Suddenly Lose Veteran Catcher to White Sox

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 14, 2026 7:00 PM ET

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The Boston Red Sox aren't going to be able to keep veteran catcher Jake Rogers in the organization.

Rogers was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in the Adley Rutschman trade and he filled in admirably for a brief period until the All-Star was ready to be activated off the Injured List. Rogers played in three games for Boston and went 3-for-6 with two doubles and two RBIs. Also, he caught Payton Tolle's 14-strikeout masterpiece on Aug. 7.

Rogers became a fast fan favorite, but the Red Sox made the right call and designated him for assignment to make room for Rutschman, rather than optioning Connor Wong. In a perfect world, he would've been able to sneak through waivers unclaimed and then stick in the Boston organization down in the minors. That isn't the case, though.

The Chicago White Sox announced on X on Friday that they have claimed Rogers off waivers from Boston.

The Red Sox Aren't Keeping Jake Rogers

"Prior to tonight’s game at Detroit, the Chicago White Sox claimed catcher Jake Rogers off waivers from the Boston Red Sox and designated left-handed pitcher Joe Rock for assignment," the White Sox announced.

Prior to tonight’s game at Detroit, the Chicago White Sox claimed catcher Jake Rogers off waivers from the Boston Red Sox and designated left-handed pitcher Joe Rock for assignment.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 14, 2026

Red Sox fans quickly came to love Rogers, but it was the right call to keep Wong on the big league roster, rather than sending him down for Rogers. While the 31-year-old was good for Boston in his three games, this is a guy who is a career .199 hitter in 368 big league games in six seasons.

All season to this point, the Red Sox's starting rotation and bullpen have been the biggest strengths for the organization. When it comes to Wong, he has been better than expected offensively. But more importantly, he has been around the block in Boston for a while now and knows how to work with these pitchers. That's something Rutschman is going to have to learn on the fly. Having someone like Wong on the club to help Rutschman adjust and get to know the pitchers will be very positive.

If the Red Sox had optioned Wong down, like some Boston fans were hoping for, then the club would've had two catchers on the roster with very little experience with the pitchers here in Boston. Not exactly the situation you want to have.

It wouldn't been nice if the Red Sox could've kept Rogers down in Triple-A, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. But Boston is going to be just fine.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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