After a turbulent start to the season, the Boston Red Sox have managed to turn things around ahead of next week’s trade deadline. Their 55-49 record entering this weekend’s series with the Los Angeles Dodgers has them sitting in the final spot in the American League Wild Card race and six games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East on Thursday night, meaning they will be buyers when the July 31 deadline arrives.
This is great news that overcame infield drama and several disappointments in the rotation earlier in the year. But while the thought of adding a first baseman or another starting pitcher may be exciting, it also means that someone is likely on the way out, and it could be one of Boston’s biggest disappointments.
Connor Wong is on Red Sox Chopping Block Ahead of Trade Deadline
The Red Sox have been underwhelming in some areas with the deadline approaching, but one of the biggest letdowns was the performance of Connor Wong.
Acquired in the trade that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, Wong showed signs of life, hitting .235/.288/.385 in his first full season in 2023. He enjoyed a full breakout by hitting .280/.333/.425 with 13 homers and 52 RBI last season and was fully entrenched as the Red Sox starting catcher to open the 2025 campaign.
Things spiraled quickly when the 2025 season began, though. Wong was sidelined with a left pinkie fracture in April and hasn’t found his bat after returning, hitting .144/.228/.144 with an RBI in 101 plate appearances. His last extra-base hit came in the 2024 season finale against the Tampa Bay Rays last September, and his defense has gone in the tank with minus-2 blocks above average according to Baseball Savant.
With his metrics down across the board, Carlos Narváez has taken Wong’s spot and ran with it. Acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees last winter, Narváez is hitting .266/.339/.439 with nine homers and 33 RBI in 78 games and has become one of the best defensive catchers in the league, ranking in the 93rd percentile or higher in blocks above average (plus-7), caught stealing above average (plus-7) and framing (plus-5).
The Red Sox hope that Wong’s pinky is the cause of his struggles this season. But with his first year of arbitration coming up, Boston likely won’t want to pay a player who was minus-13 in blocks above average and minus-7 in framing last season.
So what happens next? The San Diego Padres have been looking for help at the catcher position, but Wong’s defensive struggles don’t make him much of a fit. The New York Mets and New York Yankees may also be looking to upgrade their backstop situations, and Wong could be part of a package that could help upgrade Boston’s backup catcher spot.
It leads to what could be a messy divorce at the trade deadline and likely sends another piece of the Betts trade out of Boston.