Christian Vazquez has played for only one organization in his professional baseball career.
He hopes it stays that way forever.
The Red Sox catcher acknowledged Tuesday he’s heard some of the rumors surrounding Boston with the Major League Baseball trade deadline coming up next Monday. His fingers are crossed that he won’t be among the players traded, however, as his stated goal is to remain with Boston until he hangs up the cleats.
“I think it’s going to be sad if I left Boston because all my career was here,” Vazquez told reporters before Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo. “From (2008), a young kid, I’ve been here. Only one organization. And my goal is retire here. That’s my goal in my career. Be part of one organization, have one jersey on my chest all my career. But we don’t control that.”
Vazquez, drafted in the ninth round in 2008, broke into the majors with Boston in 2014. He’s coming off a strong 2019 season in which he batted .276 with a career-high 23 home runs, 72 RBIs and a .798 OPS.
Vazquez long has been known for his defense behind the plate, but his strides offensively have thrust him into the conversation regarding some of MLB’s best backstops.
It’s possible the Red Sox view Vazquez as an important part of their rebuild, which kicked into high gear last week when Boston traded relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree to the Philadelphia Phillies. The 30-year-old is under contract for 2021 at a reasonable $6.25 million, and the Red Sox own a $7 million club option for 2022.
That said, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom figures to leave no stone unturned in the coming days. So, Vazquez’s name might continue to surface in speculation, even if he’s not ultimately dealt.
“I read something, but like I said before, we don’t control that,” Vazquez said. “We control if we play hard, come here and help the team.”
