One year after the Tampa Bay Rays signed former Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen, they've added yet another former division rival to their squad.
The Rays on January 7 signed former Red Sox catcher Blake Sabol to a minor league deal, according to Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. They simultaneously signed outfielder Edward Olivares, and both deals include an invite to big league spring training.
Tampa Bay has looked to Boston's castoffs to bolster its roster in recent years. Jansen became its everyday catcher in the first half of the season and an eventual trade candidate, it signed Steven Matz after his trade deadline move to the Sox, and Sabol will now join him at spring training.
The Red Sox acquired Sabol before the 2025 season in a trade with the San Francisco Giants, where he made his MLB debut after his selection in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. He served as Boston's backup catcher in April while Connor Wong was on the injured list with a fractured hand. This is also when Carlos Narváez emerged as the Sox's primary catcher because he took to the role so well.
Rays sign former Red Sox catcher Blake Sabol to minor league deal with invite to spring training
Boston designated Sabol for assignment in June, a month after Wong returned to action from the IL. He cleared waivers and remained with the Red Sox organization in Triple-A Worcester before they traded him to the White Sox on July 12 for cash considerations.
Sabol only appeared in eight big league games in 2025, all for the Red Sox. He batted .125/.167/.188 with a double, a walk and seven strikeouts. He made two errors in his seven appearances at catcher, which didn't bode well for his chances of sticking on the roster.
Sabol didn't fare much better at the plate in the minor leagues. He slashed .125/.167/.188 over 66 games between the WooSox and the White Sox's Triple-A Charlotte Knights. He flashed some power with 11 doubles and six home runs, and he walked an impressive 30 times compared to 76 strikeouts.
The Red Sox were right to upgrade their catching depth in the back half of the 2025 season. Narváez played through a significant number of games with a meniscus injury and Boston may have needed someone better than Sabol to step in during a playoff chase. Now, Sox fans will get to see if he can put together in Tampa.