Red Sox Former First-Round Pick Misses Opening Day Roster

The Boston Red Sox's Spring Training roster battles are starting to be sorted out with just three days to go until Opening Day.

Over the course of Spring Training, one battle to watch has been for the backup catcher spot on the Opening Day roster. Connor Wong has been the incumbent while former first-round pick and seven-year big league veteran Matt Thaiss has been the challenger. While this is the case, Boston reportedly sent Thaiss down on Monday, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

"Mickey Gasper and Matt Thaiss were also sent down, which is good news for Connor Wong," Cotillo wrote on X.

Thaiss is someone who caught Red Sox manager Alex Cora's eye earlier in camp.

The Red Sox made a decision on Monday

Mar 2, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Matt Thaiss (25) singles during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

"Matty Thaiss is impressing people here," Cora said. "His swing is really good. He’s left-handed. He’s been able to control the pitching staff. He’s a guy who has been catching our eye.”

Overall, Thaiss slashed .190/.370/.190 in 12 games for Boston over the course of Spring Training with one RBI and five walks. Wong hasn't been much better offensively in camp. He has slashed .074/.194/.074 with two RBIs and four walks in 12 games played. But he has been the incumbent and does have more experience with this pitching staff, which is an advantage.

One thing that is positive for the Red Sox is the fact that they aren't expected to lose Thaiss at this time. He has an upward mobility clause in his deal, but reportedly is expected to stick around with the Red Sox at this time, per Cotillo.

"Matt Thaiss has an upward mobility clause that allowed him to pursue other opportunities but he will remain in the organization in Worcester, per sources," Cotillo wrote.

This is the best-case scenario for Boston. The Red Sox rolling with Carlos Narváez and Wong to kick off the season arguably is for the best. Narváez is the clear-cut starter. Wong has struggled offensively, but this is a guy who was a .280 hitter with 13 homers in 126 games played in 2024. The upside is still there. But if an injury were to pop up, or if he's not able to bounce back offensively, the club still will have Thaiss down in the minors as an option to come up and replace him. Catcher is a position where the Red Sox don't have a ton of big league depth in general, so keeping Thaiss is a big win, even though he didn't make the Opening Day roster.