Veteran Catcher Exercises Opt-Out Clause In Red Sox Contract

Veteran catcher Jorge Alfaro has activated the opt-out clause in his contract with the Boston Red Sox, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. With the clause triggered, the Red Sox will have 48 hours to add Alfaro to the active roster or allow him to explore opportunities with other clubs.

The 29-year-old signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox in January but did not make the opening-day roster in favor of Reese McGuire and Connor Wong. McGuire has appeared in 31 games for Boston, batting .293 with 10 RBIs. Wong has been behind the plate 39 times this season batting .243 with five home runs and 13 RBIs.

In 43 games with Triple-A Worcester, Alfaro has six home runs, 30 RBIs and 22 runs scored, to go along with four stolen bases. He is slashing .320/.366/.520.

“He’s swinging the bat well. We’ll see where we’re at. Obviously, right now, we’re very comfortable with Reese and Wong,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Cotillo on Wednesday. “There’s (another) 29 teams out there. They might have a chance or not. In a selfish way, hopefully, nobody wants him. As a person and a player, I would love him to be in the big leagues, either with us or somebody else. It’s where we’re at right now. We’re very comfortable with these two guys. I’ll repeat myself.”

According to Cotillo, The Red Sox will most likely wait to make a decision on Alfaro until the deadline to give themselves a cushion in case Wong or McGuire suffer an injury. Alfaro can leave Boston if he finds the right opportunity with another team.