The Boston Red Sox are open to a reunion with former World Series champion catcher Christian Vázquez to backup Carlos Narvaez at the trade deadline.
Red Sox Open to Reunion With Fan-Favorite World Series Champion originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Boston Red Sox breakout star Carlos Narvaez has ascended towards the top of the best catchers in baseball after a tremendous first half. In 67 games, he is hitting .273 (11th among qualified catchers) with eight home runs and 31 RBIs.
Despite the impressive first-half stats, Narvaez's heavy workload may already be taking a toll on his performance. Since June 16, the 25-year-old is hitting just .235 with a .657 OPS in 18 games. While moving Narvaez out of the starting lineup is unnecessary, finding a serviceable backup may be an underrated need at the trade deadline.
Boston could give Narvaez more consistent off-days and play backup Connor Wong more often. However, Wong is hitting .149 with just one RBI, and despite his youth and defensive improvements, the lack of production is not something the Red Sox can rely on during the second half of the season.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, another possible scenario is a potential reunion with Christian Vázquez. While the former World Series champion is hitting a subpar .170 with two home runs, Cotillo reports there are some intangibles the Red Sox like about Vázquez.
Vázquez is under contract through the end of the season, and his $10 million salary could give the Minnesota Twins more reason to trade him at the deadline. It would also cost the Red Sox very little to acquire Vázquez.
The Red Sox have more pressing needs than a backup catcher, and their playoff aspirations will not rely on who serves as a backstop every fourth day. Yet, for a team holding a 1.5 game lead in the Wild Card race, improving on the fringes may be enough to snap a three-season playoff drought.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
