One of the many questions the Red Sox face entering the 2023 season is their catching situation.
Boston has Reese McGuire, Connor Wong and Jorge Alfaro — who it signed in the offseason to a minor league deal — all eyeing a spot on the Opening Day roster. McGuire came over to the Red Sox last year in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, while Wong — one of the pieces in the Mookie Betts trade — played in 27 games for the club last year.
It would make sense for the Red Sox to try and see what they have in Wong, who spent the majority of the last two seasons in the minors, and they know McGuire is serviceable at the position. But with Alfaro now in the mix, many have wondered what direction the Red Sox will go when it comes to their backstops.
“We were very pleased with Reese and Wong. They did an amazing job in August and September,” manager Alex Cora told reporters in Fort Myers, Fla., per video from the team. “They’re still growing, they’re still learning. … The thing with Alfaro — he can play first too. I think that’s what he’s gonna do with Columbia (at the World Baseball Classic), he’s gonna catch, play first and DH. … Right now we really like our duo, they’re pretty good. Let’s see where we’re at the end but we’re very pleased with them.”
Cora also noted that it won’t be a “strict platoon situation” with Wong and McGuire.
It’s just one of the many storylines to keep our eye on throughout spring training, but Cora did say it was too early to tell if the Red Sox would carry all three catchers on the 26-man roster.
