Red Sox Reportedly Sign Gold Glove Catcher to Minor League Deal

The Boston Red Sox have used the offseason so far to add depth to various positions.

That trend continued Wednesday when the Red Sox signed veteran catcher Roberto Pérez to a minor league deal, as first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post and confirmed by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Christopher Smith.

The Red Sox were linked to Pérez in the past, including last offseason, before ultimately bringing him into the organization.

The 34-year-old most recently played in 26 games over the past two seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants. Before that, he spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Cleveland Guardians, primarily catching in a backup role. In 2019, Pérez slugged 24 home runs in 119 games while leading the league with a 71% caught-stealing rate as a defender behind the plate.

The veteran’s strength is definitely with his defense, winning two Gold Gloves during his career.

Boston fans should be familiar with Pérez, who homered against the Red Sox in a three-game sweep for Cleveland in the 2016 American League Division Series. Cleveland advanced to the World Series that season before losing to the Chicago Cubs in a classic, seven-game series.

Pérez adds organization depth behind big-league catchers Connor Wong and Reese McGuire while 2023 first-round pick Kyle Teel rises through Boston’s farm system.