Red Sox Avoid Arbitration By Signing Veteran To One-Year Contract
He'll return for a sixth season
The Boston Red Sox are officially bringing back a veteran catcher for the 2026 season.
Boston signed Connor Wong to a one-year contract on Thursday. He’ll make $1.375 million with the opportunity to earn up to $75,000 in performance bonuses, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
The move avoids an arbitration hearing for Wong, who was entering his first of three arbitration-eligible years.
Wong first joined the Red Sox in 2021 but didn’t receive much playing time until 2023. He enjoyed a career year the following season, batting .280/.333/.425 with 13 home runs and eight stolen bases.
Wong began the 2025 season as Boston’s starting catcher, but he fractured his left pinky finger on April 7 after being hit by a George Springer swing. By the time he returned on May 2, Carlos Narváez seized the job.
Acquired from the New York Yankees last offseason, Narváez tallied 15 home runs and a .726 OPS as a rookie. The 26-year-old’s exceptional defense and pitch-framing relegated Wong to a bench role.
Wong never got comfortable inside the batter’s box, hitting .190 with zero home runs in 188 plate appearances. The 29-year-old underwent surgery for a right hand carpal boss excision after Boston’s playoff elimination.
Narváez also went under the knife in October to treat a knee injury, and the Red Sox added catching depth by signing Jason Delay to a minor league contract.
Wong and Narváez are currently the only catchers on Boston’s 40-man roster, so Thursday’s signing puts Wong in place to open 2026 as the team’s second-string backstop.
