Red Sox sign veteran catcher to minor league deal; former Yadier Molina backup had .962 OPS at AAA

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

WORCESTER — Looking to bolster their depth at the catching position, the Red Sox signed veteran Andrew Knizner to a minor league deal on Tuesday, sources confirmed to MassLive.

Knizner, 31, joined Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday but is not in the starting lineup. He began this year in the Rockies’ organization, playing at Triple-A before being given his release last week. There, he slashed .279/.371/.590 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs (.962 OPS) in 33 games. Knizner, a veteran of seven major league seasons, signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Mariners but didn’t make the Opening Day roster. He signed with Colorado days later.


Over parts of seven major league seasons, Knizner is a veteran of 323 games and owns a career slash line of .211/.281/.316 with 19 homers and 90 RBIs. He spent five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he served as Yadier Molina’s backup. He then spent 2024 with the Texas Rangers and 2025 with San Francisco.

The Red Sox have been utilizing three catchers at the major league level, without much in the way of offensive contributions from any of the trio. Carlos Narváez began the year as the team’s No. 1 catcher, but a poor start opened the door for Connor Wong to claim more playing time. More recently, journeyman Mickey Gasper has gotten time behind the plate, but after a strong start upon his call up from Worcester, Gasper, too, has cooled at the plate.

The WooSox had three other catchers on their roster prior to the arrival of Knizner: Jason Delay, Matt Thaiss and Nathan Hickey. Both Delay and Thaiss have major league experience, while Hickey has mostly been utilized at first base and at DH. The WooSox also have catcher Juan Montero on their development list, where he was moved after the Knizner signing.

More Red Sox coverage​

• Red Sox lineup: Nate Eaton gets turn in leadoff spot
• Red Sox somehow keep finding new lows | Sean McAdam
• Red Sox reactions: Rockies pull off stunning ninth-inning comeback
• Red Sox lineup: Regular outfield alignment back together in spacious Coors Field
• Could Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray waive his no-trade clause?

Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Continue reading...