The Red Sox made the catch Roberto Perez, as noted by Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com. Perez signed a minor league deal with the team back in December but has spent the entire season on the injured list.
A veteran of ten major league seasons, Perez is a two-time Golden Glove award winner who has consistently been regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the sport throughout his career. Unfortunately, the 35-year-old has struggled with injuries in recent years after being a regular on Cleveland's roster during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The veteran was limited to just 44 games in 2021 with a broken finger and shoulder, a fact that allowed Austin Hedges veteran skip on Cleveland's depth chart.
Perez became a free agent for the first time after the 2021 season, but his injury problems have gotten worse since then. He received a minor league deal with the Pirates through 2022 but ended up appearing in 21 games before his season ended in early May. The following winter Perez joined the Giants in a non-selective deal and earned a spot on the team's staff through a strong Spring Training. Unfortunately, the veteran made only five regular season appearances before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair the rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Among those injuries and now an undisclosed issue that has plagued Perez this year, the 35-year-old has made just 86 appearances since the end of the 2021 season.
For a veteran tackle in his mid-thirties, long injury streaks are concerning, though it's important to note that his limited appearances in the regular season and spring training have generally shown him to still be a solid defensive catcher when healthy. On the other hand, he has been atrocious at the plate following most of the 2019 major league season, slashing just .169/.268/.288 with a 58 wRC+ in 357 plate appearances at the major league level since then.
Still, it wouldn't shock a club in need of catching Perez on a minor league contract if he's healthy enough to contribute in the second half, given the value of catching depth and the veteran's top defense. reputation. As for Boston, the club remains deep in catching depth behind its core tandem Connor Wong again Reese McGuire even after breaking up with Perez; Tyler Heineman is on the 40-man roster as an optional depth piece, while Mark Kolozsvary provides additional depth, which is not a program with major league experience at the Triple-A level.
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