Red Sox continue avid collection of prized former Blue Jays catchers with latest addition 

In recent years, the Boston Red Sox, for whatever reason, have had a fondness for catchers that had previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2022, the Red Sox acquired Reese McGuire from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline. In early 2024, Boston traded for Tyler Heineman, who was a part of the New York Mets organization at the time after leaving Toronto. Finally, during the summer of 2024, Boston did it again at the deadline by bringing in Danny Jansen in a direct trade transaction with the Blue Jays. 

This week, the Red Sox happen to be up to their old tricks again, but this time it wasn’t through the trade route. Boston has claimed Jays catcher Ali Sánchez off of waivers on Friday after having been recently designated for assignment by Toronto. With that addition, that now makes it four former Jays catchers in four years that have eventually ended up joining the Red Sox organization.

Red Sox continue avid collection of prized former Blue Jays catchers with latest addition 

Having signed a minor-league deal with Toronto during the 2024-2025 offseason, Sánchez began the season in Triple-A Buffalo as the insurance third-string backup to the Jays tandem of Alejandro Kirk and Heineman, who has since returned to the Blue Jays. The 28-year-old catcher would eventually get his opportunity at the expense of Kirk’s suspected concussion in late May and subsequently Heineman’s own head issue in late July prior to the trade deadline.

However, Sánchez failed to impress from an offensive standpoint, compiling just a .238 average and .571 OPS along with two doubles and two runs scored in 21 total plate appearances over eight games played. With recent Jays addition Buddy Kennedy having his contract selected and promoted to the big league club, Sánchez would lose his roster spot due to the numbers game and was DFA’d.

As for his Jays predecessors with respect to their time in Boston, McGuire spent three years with the Red Sox, amassing a decent .264 average, .686 OPS, with 38 runs scored, 20 doubles, seven home runs and 46 RBIs in 161 total games played. However, he was caught by surprise when he would ultimately lose his roster spot to another former Blue Jay in Jansen as a fallout of the 2024 trade deadline. 

Jansen would end up just finishing off the 2024 season with the Red Sox, posting an underwhelming .188 average, .623 OPS, with eight runs scored, three home runs and six RBIs in 30 contests before moving on. But for Heineman, his tenure with the Red Sox was most negligible, appearing in just two games all season for Boston in 2024 and recording a strikeout in three plate appearances.

Sánchez will hope to capitalize on his renewed opportunity with the Red Sox organization and attempt to establish a more stable MLB career going forward.