Report: Red Sox 'in talks' with free agent catcher Roberto Perez originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox appear to be taking a catcher by committee approach entering the 2023 MLB season, and it's a questionable move to say the least.
Christian Vazquez was the Red Sox' primary catcher for the last five-plus years before being traded to the Houston Astros last season. Instead of bringing back Vazquez this offseason as a free agent -- he ultimately signed with the Minnesota Twins -- the Red Sox instead have a catching trio that currently consists of Reese McGuire, Connor Wong and Jorge Alfaro.
Tomase: Alfaro signing a reminder that Red Sox are unsettled at catcher
We might see Roberto Perez thrown into that group, too.
MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported Thursday that the Red Sox are "in talks" with the free agent catcher.
Perez hasn't been a great offensive player in his major league career. He's a lifetime .206 hitter and has averaged six home runs with 21 RBI and a .298 on-base percentage per season. Perez played just 21 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022 and hit .233 with two homers and eight RBI.
He's very good defensively, though. Perez won the American League Gold Glove Award at catcher in both 2019 and 2020 with the Cleveland Guardians. He's also 33rd among all active players in Defensive WAR (wins above replacement) at 8.1 through nine seasons.
But neither Perez nor the three catchers already on Boston's roster are as talented as Vazquez. The smart approach would have been to bring him back this winter. The Red Sox have plenty of weak spots on their roster with spring training set to begin next month, and catcher is near the top of that list.
