Red Sox's Trade Pickup From Yankees Projected To Win Tight 2025 Roster Battle

It's a good day to examine the most important roster competition for the Boston Red Sox that very few people are talking about.

Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez (75) during the first day of Spring Training on Feb 12, 2025 in Lee County, FL, USA. Chris Tilley-Imagn Images Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

After trading away top prospect Kyle Teel in the trade that brought Garrett Crochet to Boston, it's clear that Connor Wong has earned the starting catcher job for at least the next year or two. But after the departures of Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire, he also needs a new backup,

Backup catchers may not be the most well-known players on the roster, but they serve an important function. Even the game's most durable catchers don't play close to 162 games anymore, so whoever backs up Wong will get a decent handful of starts, with late-inning duties likely sprinkled in too.

Though every big-league position player has to be able to hit a little, defense wins the day behind the plate, especially in this case, since Wong had some defensive struggles last year. With that in mind, one Red Sox reporter projected that a former New York Yankees catcher would win the backup job.

On Monday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald projected that Carlos Narvaez, the 26-year-old the Red Sox acquired from the Yankees on the same day they got Crochet, would be the number-two catcher on the Opening Day roster.

"Carlos Narvaez appears to be the favorite, but there’s been very little separation between the contenders as far as playing time, role or production," Cerullo wrote.

"Narvaez entered Saturday with a slim lead for the most innings caught in Grapefruit League action, and he, Blake Sabol and Seby Zavala have all been non-factors at the plate — though admittedly in tiny sample sizes."

Narvaez only has six games of major league experience under his belt--he went 3-for-13 in a brief callup with the Yankees last summer. This spring, he's 2-for-12 with a walk, a double, and six strikeouts.

Narvaez's main competitors for the role are Blake Sabol, who also arrived via trade this winter (from the San Francisco Giants), and Seby Zavala, who the Red Sox signed to a minor-league contract in November.

If Narvaez wins the battle, don't be surprised to see him decide the outcome of a few games this season--which could be a good or a bad thing for Boston.