Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Lose Four-Year MLB Veteran To Mets After Recent DFA

The depth takes a bit of a hit...
Jackson Roberts|
Feb 19, 2024; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; Detail photo of Mets helmet during workouts at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Feb 19, 2024; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; Detail photo of Mets helmet during workouts at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Boston Red SoxNew York Mets

If you remember the Ali Sánchez era with the Boston Red Sox in a few years, consider yourself a true diehard.

Sánchez was a desperation waiver claim for the Red Sox on Aug. 8, due to a brief injury scare for starting catcher Carlos Narvaez. But after riding out the weekend with Connor Wong starting all three games in San Diego, it turned out Narvaez wouldn't need a stint on the injured list.

That meant Sánchez was essentially an extra body as the third catcher on the bench, and though the Red Sox would still have liked to keep him in the organization in case Wong or Narvaez ever did hit the IL, they couldn't afford to keep him on the roster if he wasn't going to play.

Ali Sánchez lands with Mets after DFA

After the Red Sox designated him for assignment on Monday, Sánchez cleared waivers. Then, on Thursday, Boston attempted to outright him to Triple-A Worcester, but as reported by Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects, he rejected that assignment in favor of becoming a free agent.

The puzzle pieces came together on Friday, as The Athletic's Will Sammon reported that Sánchez and the New York Mets agreed on a minor-league deal. New York lost starting catcher Francisco Alvarez to a thumb injury over the weekend and they aren't sure if he'll be able to return this season.

All told, Sánchez wound up getting one plate appearance during his stint with the Red Sox, and it came against Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick in the ninth inning of a 14-1 blowout win against the Houston Astros.

In his major league career, Sánchez owns a .458 OPS in 132 plate appearances. He's played for five major league teams (Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Red Sox) across four different seasons.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox's Triple-A catching depth chart contains Seby Zavala and Chadwick Tromp, who have similar amounts of big-league experience to Sánchez. They hope they don't need to use a third catcher at any point, but they may have preferred Sánchez over those two.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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