Red Sox 7-Year Veteran Changing Approach in Bid to Steal Roster Spot

The Boston Red Sox don't have many non-roster invites to watch on the position player side of things during spring training, but Matt Thaiss is unquestionably one of them.

Thaiss, the seven-year major league veteran catcher who signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox on Feb. 3, has to be considered the primary challenger to Connor Wong for the backup job in Boston. His chances might not be close to 50% in terms of stealing that gig, but one never knows what's possible if he builds some momentum this spring.

Thaiss acknowledged Monday that he's fighting for his spot, but as the challenger, he didn't seem daunted by the apparent long odds he's facing.

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Thaiss sheds light on his bid for roster spot

May 15, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Matt Thaiss (29) bats against the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

“I think everyone is,” Thaiss said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “Just day in and day out, just coming in, showing up, doing what I need to do, and whatever happens from there happens from there.”

Thaiss also revealed that he's trying to tap into more of his home run power than he accessed last season with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, which could help form the basis of an argument in his favor to crack the roster at some point.

“I think the past couple years I’ve kind of sacrificed some power for some other things at the plate,” he said, per Smith. “Trying to get back to that. These guys have been great here this first week and kind of doing some different things in order to get that back. And then obviously, defensively, we’re always working just to get better.”

Thaiss had 1.2 bWAR last season, which was actually a new career high, in just 60 games. His OPS+ of 94 in 35 games with the White Sox was a reasonably impressive number, though he eventually got traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in late May.

While it would take a mammoth spring to unseat Wong by opening day, Thaiss also knows there could be a long game at play if he heads to Triple-A to start the regular season and produces there.

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