Red Sox trade for catcher from Mets
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 13: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees walks back to the dugout after striking out during the ninth inning as Tyler Heineman #51 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws the ball back to the pitcher at Yankee Stadium on April 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The Boston Red Sox have added another catcher to the organization.
As announced by the team last Friday, the Red Sox are bringing catcher Tyler Heineman from the New York Mets to Boston, in exchange for cash considerations. The Red Sox designated pitcher Max Castillo for assignment to make room for Heinenman on the 40-man roster.
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Heineman, 32, made his major league debut for the Miami Marlins in 2019 at age 28, and has played 104 games at catcher in his career so far. The Mets claimed Heineman off waivers from the Jays in December. Over the past two seasons, Heineman has posted 10.6 defensive runs saved above average in 84 games, the third-best mark among catchers who played under 100 contests in that span.
![Catcher Tyler Heineman is headed to the Boston Red Sox from a trade with the New York Mets. (Photo by Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2024/02/Tyler-Heineman-Blue-Jays-2.jpg)
Catcher Tyler Heineman is headed to the Boston Red Sox from a trade with the New York Mets. (Photo by Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)
Connor Wong emerged as the Red Sox’ primary catcher in 2023, leading them at the position with a 0.5 WAR and 126 games. Wong hit nine home runs and 25 doubles with a .673 OPS in 403 plate appearances last season, while saving 0.8 defensive runs above average.
Assuming Wong continues to hold down the starting job, Heineman should compete for playing time with Reese McGuire, who also remains on the 40-man roster.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content.
Milliken: 2024 Red Sox Lineup Projection 1.0
Spring training kicks off in less than two weeks for the Red Sox, which means it’s time to dive into the 2024 lineup. It’s not the easiest sight right now, especially with the club’s best right-handed bat in Justin Turner departing for the Blue Jays this week. But clearly this lineup is going to need to produce with the current state of the starting rotation.
In 2023, the Red Sox lineup finished 8th in runs (772), 6th in batting average (.258), and 18th in home runs (182). That led to a wRC+ of 99, which sandwiched them right between the Mets and Reds for the 16th-best mark in the sport. Overall, a pretty solid performance for a group that fell through the floor in the final weeks of the season.
September was miserable as injuries, falling out of the playoff race, and playing younger guys tanked the offense across the boards. It led to a 72 wRC+ over that stretch, which was the second-worst mark in baseball. The only team worse was the White Sox at 65, who had been in the cellar for months and sold heavily at the trade deadline.
So, I think it’s fair to look at those first 5 months where the Red Sox were 12th-best in OPS as a better indication of their talent level. That would usually provide some hope for 2024, but I can’t look at Turner leaving and not see a major loss without a proper replacement. He was second on the team in RBI, third in homers, and third in wRC+ (minimum 400 PAs).
Add in the fact that the Red Sox are already lefty heavy, and it was clear how much Turner balanced the group. Just looking deeper into his 2023 season, his numbers were even better (124 wRC+) before suffering a bad heel bruise on August 1st. There was a reason Alex Cora trusted him as Rafael Devers’ protection in the lineup.
Even with how frustrating this offseason has been, I expect another right-handed bat to be added to the mix. I’d love to dream on the likes of Jorge Soler coming to Fenway Park and smoking 30-40 homers over the Green Monster, but recent reports are pointing to Adam Duvall, Tommy Pham, or Garrett Cooper being more their speed. Duvall or Pham give Craig Breslow another outfield option to meet his vision of a rotating DH, with Cooper offering another pathway of spelling Casas at 1B and crushing lefties.
Truth is, if there’s one thing this offseason has taught Red Sox fans, it’s not to bank on any potential move happening. Even if they make all the sense in the world (hello, Jordan Montgomery). So, let’s dive into bats Cora currently has at his disposal and how they fit together.
FYI: All projections come from Steamer.
Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.