Red Sox Lose Out On Stud Catcher After Heavy Reported Trade Interest

The Boston Red Sox struck out Monday afternoon.

Boston has plenty of holes to fill on its roster after finishing 78-84 in 2022 and one position of note certainly is catcher. The Red Sox dealt longtime Boston backstop, Christian Vazquez, to the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros ahead of the 2022 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline leaving the team with just Connor Wong and Reese McGuire on the roster.

While the team at times has said it feels comfortable with a tandem of Wong and McGuire heading into 2023, the squad also reportedly has shown heavy interest in upgrading the position.

One of the biggest moves the team reportedly has considered is trading for former Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy, but Boston was beat to the punch as the Atlanta Braves reportedly completed a deal for the catcher Monday afternoon, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The deal sending Sean Murphy to Atlanta is part of a three-way trade with the Oakland A's and Milwaukee Brewers, sources tell ESPN. One of the players heading to Milwaukee is catcher William Contreras. Oakland is getting catcher Manny Pina.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 12, 2022

Monday's big move was part of a three-team trade that also included the Milwaukee Brewers and multiple prospects on the move as well.

The 28-year-old has been a hot commodity on the market this offseason as he's under team control until the 2026 season and has shown promise to be a two-way catcher. Murphy is extremely solid defensively and took home the American League Gold Glove award in 2021 and he's also provided consistent offensive production as well.

There are plenty of moves still available for Boston to make, but the team certainly hasn't had the best luck so far this offseason -- whether self-inflicted or not.

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