Red Sox Lose 28-Year-Old To Yankees After Roller Coaster Season

The former Boston Red Sox catcher has found a new home...

Aug 14, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Yankees hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox quietly lost a depth piece to the American League East rival New York Yankees in free agency this past week.

Former Boston catcher Ali Sánchez elected free agency from the organization Oct. 6 after a roller coaster of a 2025 campaign, as reflected on his official MLB.com page. Another thing that is reflected on his official page is that the 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees on Dec. 17 and has been assigned to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

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Sánchez played in just four games in the big leagues for the Red Sox in 2025, but fans will remember him for having a roller coaster of a year. He started the 2025 season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was designated for assignment in August and was quickly claimed by Boston and was added to the big league roster. Carlos Narváez played in a lot of games for Boston in 2025 and was banged up towards the end of the season, along with Connor Wong. Sánchez was a depth option behind these two.

The former Red Sox catcher is joining the Yankees

Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Ali Sanchez against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

His stint in Boston was a bit odd, though. The Red Sox designated him for assignment before the end of August and he elected free agency and went over to join the New York Mets. On August 31, the Red Sox re-acquired Sánchez in a trade with the Mets and he was added to the active roster. Towards the end of September, he was DFA'd once again and was outrighted to Triple-A. He didn't appear in a game with the Worcester Red Sox and elected free agency after the season.

Quite an odd stint for the depth piece and now he's sticking around in the American League East with the Red Sox's biggest rival. There were points when it seemed like Boston could've used the roster spot elsewhere, when Narváez and Wong were both healthy enough to play, but there's no need to fret about the past any longer.

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