SF Giants 2023 Opening Day catcher signs minors pact with Boston Red Sox

SF Giants 2023 Opening Day catcher Roberto Pérez has found a new home for next season. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.Com, the veteran catcher has joined the Boston Red Sox on minor league deal.

SF Giants 2023 Opening Day catcher signs minors pact with Boston Red Sox

The contract includes a camp invite to spring training and Pérez would earn a base salary of $1.4 million if he is added to the major league roster. The Red Sox had expressed interest in him last offseason before he signed with the Giants on a minors pact.

His deal last season was a minors pact which included a $2.5 million base salary and a chance for playing time given that the catcher position was very much an open competition. Pérez was brought in to compete with Joey Bart and Blake Sabol for a spot on the active roster.

Sabol had limited experience behind the plate, but the Giants liked his bat. Given that he was a Rule 5 pick, he needed to remain on the active roster. San Francisco hoped that they could ease him into the position by carrying three catchers.

On Opening Day, that group included Pérez, Bart, and Sabol. Carrying three catchers on the active roster is a tough roster fit, but it helped that Sabol could play the outfield as well.

The Giants hoped that Pérez could serve as a mentor to the younger catchers. Plus, he had a solid defensive reputation after winning consecutive AL Gold Glove awards in 2019 and 2020.

Despite his defensive acumen, the 10-year veteran had trouble staying on the field. In 2022, he only appeared in 21 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury. His luck did not get any better in the following season as he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury just five games into his Giants tenure.

Similar to the Giants, the Red Sox won just 78 games in 2023. Boston will enter 2024 with Connor Wong as their starting catcher with Reese McGuire serving as the backup. Similar to Pérez, Wong has a strong reputation behind the dish but does not offer much with the bat. For the Red Sox, the addition of Pérez gives them an experienced depth option.