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Red Sox: Ranking potential impact of 2019 September call-ups

By Sean Penney

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 24: Jhoulys Chacin #45 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Miller Park on July 24, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 24: Jhoulys Chacin #45 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Miller Park on July 24, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, AZ – AUGUST 14: Catcher Juan Centeno #30 of the Houston Astros during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 14, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Astros 2-0. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – AUGUST 14: Catcher Juan Centeno #30 of the Houston Astros during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 14, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Astros 2-0. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Juan Centeno

The journeyman catcher could soon make his Red Sox debut but he’s no stranger to the big leagues. Juan Centeno has 111 career games under his belt in stints with the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers.

Centeno owns a career .227/.278/.331 batting line with six home runs and 45 RBI.

While he hit an almost respectable .248 with a .671 OPS in Pawtucket this year, his track record suggests those numbers won’t translate to the big leagues.

Centeno isn’t here for his bat but he may still be an upgrade at the plate over the anemic Sandy Leon, who is sputtering along with a .181 average and .536 OPS. Centeno is bad with a bat in his hands but not that bad.

Leon’s primary purpose as serving as the security blanket for Sale. Now that the ace is out for the season, there’s less incentive to give playing time to his battery mate. As long as Centeno can hold his own defensively behind the plate, the Red Sox may give him a look to see if he can be a potentially cheaper replacement for the backup catcher role next season.

If nothing else, Centeno’s presence will make Alex Cora more comfortable pinch-hitting for Leon. Christian Vazquez would then take over after a partial day off without leaving the Red Sox exposed without another catcher to call on if anything happened to Vazquez.

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