Carlos Narváez's rookie breakout sort of masked a larger issue within the Boston Red Sox's organization: a total lack of catching depth.
After trading away Kyle Teel in the Garrett Crochet blockbuster, the team was left with just Narváez and Connor Wong for the 2025 season. Whenever there was an injury or a need for a third catcher, Boston had to go outside the organization for help (Blake Sabol, Ali Sanchez).
Having a quality starting catcher like Narváez diminishes the need for depth behind the plate, but there is no position in baseball that requires high-quality depth options like catcher. Backstops simply can't handle the workload of catching every single day, and some pitchers prefer to have personal catchers when they take a start. It's imperative that a team enters a season with multiple backup plans at the position.
Though the franchise has already taken steps to rectify their 2025 mistakes by signing veteran catcher Jason Delay, there's still a need for a legitimate No. 2 catcher after Connor Wong's implosion in 2025.
The last remaining piece from the ill-fated Mookie Betts trade, Wong hit .190/.262/.238 (39 wRC+) in 2025, and he's always graded out poor defensively. Many fans feel like it's simply time that the organization moves on from the 29-year-old catcher.
Well, Christopher Smith of MassLive has an interesting way for the Red Sox to do both: go right back to the well with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Red Sox predicted to trade for Dalton Rushing, move on from Connor Wong
The Dodgers, like the Red Sox, already have a long-term starting option behind the plate in World Series hero Will Smith. They also have trade deadline acquisition Ben Rortvedt on the roster, who, despite horrendous offensive production, remains one of the better defensive catchers in the league.
If they're happy with that set-up, they could look to trade top prospect Dalton Rushing, who is a potent force at the plate but less experienced behind it. He'd cost a ton in a trade — he's raked in the minor leagues and isn't even arbitration-eligible until 2028 — but the Red Sox have the prospect capital and young position player talent necessary to tempt Los Angeles.
Now, Smith doesn't necessarily say that the Sox should send Wong back to Los Angeles in return for Rushing. It's hard to imagine the two-time reigning champs would have much interest in their former prospect — but it is explicitly stated that part of the deal would involve Wong leaving the organization.
There are a few (relatively painless) paths to making that happen. The first would be a trade, though that seems unlikely, unless the Red Sox can convince another franchise that Wong really was hampered by his hand injury. The other path would simply be non-tendering the veteran backstop, who still has three years of team control remaining through arbitration.
Of course, the Red Sox could also opt to keep three catchers on the 40-man roster (most teams do) and figure things out in spring training.
Either way, Smith is right that the team needs an upgrade behind Narváez. Rushing may be one of the less practical avenues to making that happen, but the team must bring some form of competition in for Wong after his disastrous 2025 season.