MLB Free Agency Rumors: Red Sox Target Lands With AL Team

Perhaps to the chagrin of Rafael Devers, Martín Maldonado will not wear a Red Sox uniform in the 2024 Major League Baseball season.

Earlier this month, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Boston had free agency interest in Maldonado, a reliable veteran catcher with a superb track record of handling pitching staffs. The very next day, Devers shared a rare Instagram post that featured Maldonado as well as a pair of eyeball emojis.

Maldonado reportedly found a new big league home Tuesday, but not with the Red Sox. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported the 37-year-old landed a deal on the open market with the Chicago White Sox.

Boston effectively took itself out of the running for Maldonado a little over a week after Olney’s report surfaced. The Red Sox on Dec. 13 handed out a minor league deal to Roberto Pérez, who gives the club veteran catching depth behind Connor Wong and Reese McGuire. Wong is in line to be Boston’s Opening Day backstop.

Of course, it remains to be seen who Red Sox catchers will be working with starting in spring training. It would behoove Boston to address its rotation in the coming months, and frontline starters like Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell still are available on the market.