Red Sox's Backup Catcher Competition Sounds All But Wrapped Up

We'll wait for the official word, but...

Aug 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Royals outfielder Nick Loftin (12) tagged out at home plate by Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong (12) to end the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The backup catcher spot became a brief point of intrigue for the Boston Red Sox this spring, but the drama may be over quite soon.

With opening day a week from Thursday, the Red Sox have to decide which second backstop is coming to Cincinnati behind starter Carlos Narváez. There's incumbent Connor Wong, who had a brutal year in 2025, and there's Matt Thaiss, who is on a minor-league contract with an upward mobility clause (more on that later).

The question, in essence, was whether Wong deserved a do-over to show he could be more like his 2024 self than the near-zero he was at the plate last year. Manager Alex Cora gave the 29-year-old a major vote of confidence on Wednesday.

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Sep 25, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong (12) makes contact with the ball against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Speaking from Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, Cora sent a strong hint that Wong would keep his job despite a .500 OPS and no home runs last season.

“Connor has done it before, so I’m not worried about him,” Cora said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “He was hitting the ball really, really hard before he got hurt (in 2025). I don’t want to say we rushed him but he didn’t have too many at-bats before he got back to the active roster. Then, he lost playing time because Carlos (Narváez) was that good.

“We’ll see where we’re at but I really like Connor. He’s a good player, he’s good in the clubhouse and he knows the pitching staff so I really like him.”

The consideration with Thaiss is this: If any other team wants the six-year veteran on its active roster, the Red Sox have to either hand him that roster spot, or send him to that other team. It's too early to know if there's anything to worry about there, but Cora has been quite complimentary of Thaiss in camp as well.

But Wong's rapport with the Red Sox's pitching staff may ultimately provide the upper hand, not to mention the fact that the club has seen him be at least a serviceable starter in the past.