The deadline for MLB clubs to tender contracts to players under team control isn’t until Friday, but the Red Sox took care of some important business early.
The Red Sox announced Thursday that they have agreed to a one-year contract with catcher Connor Wong. The deal allows the two sides to avoid salary arbitration and likely ensures Wong will return as Boston’s back-up catcher in 2026.
According to Channel 7’s Ari Alexander, the deal is for $1.375 million.
With the signing, the Red Sox now only have four arbitration-eligible players remaining.
Originally expected to serve as Boston’s starter heading into 2025, Wong endured a challenging season plagued by injuries and inconsistency at the plate. Wong batted .190 with a .500 OPS in 63 games and did not record his first RBI until June 23, and he was quickly supplanted as the club’s starter by rookie Carlos Narvaez, who went on to finish sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year vote.
Wong also graded poorly defensively, earning low marks from Statcast while recording minus-one defensive run saved according to FanGraphs.
Despite his struggles, Wong has proven he can hit at the MLB level before when healthy. In 2024 he batted .280 with 13 home runs and a .758 OPS, making him one of the better offensive catchers in the league that season.
The club is also perilously thin at catcher. Outside of Narvaez and Wong the only other big league caliber backstop in the organization is currently Jason Delay, who was recently signed to a minor league contract.
