The 2022 Major League Baseball has not concluded just yet, but the Boston Red Sox have already started making moves for 2023.
The Red Sox claimed Minnesota Twins catcher Caleb Hamilton off waivers, and it designated outfielder Abraham Almonte for assignment, per the team’s transaction log.
Hamilton, 27, made his MLB debut in 2022 where he primarily played catcher but started six games at first base and one as the designated hitter. In 22 games, the Twins 23rd-round pick of the 2016 draft batted 1-for-18 with one home run, one RBI, five runs and four walks.
In Triple-A St. Paul, Hamilton batted .233 with a .808 OPS. He had 11 homers, 10 doubles, 34 runs and 43 RBIs in 62 games.
Almonte, 33, played in 15 games for the Red Sox. He batted 9-for-35 with two RBIs and seven runs.
Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom noted catcher a spot the Red Sox would look to explore, and the addition of Hamilton puts Boston at four catchers on the 40-man roster, joining Reese McGuire, Connor Wong, Ronaldo Hernández.
The big story for Boston’s offseason will be retaining Xander Bogaerts for the long-term, if he opts out of his contract after the World Series and keeping Rafael Devers for the long-term, as well.
