McAdam: Red Sox continue to stockpile behind the plate

The transaction was, to be sure, a minor one, and might not have been even noticed were we not so desperate for news -- any news! -- in these disquieting times.

The Red Sox Monday announced that they had obtained Jhonny Pereda from the Cubs, completing a deal that sent Travis Lakins to Chicago back on Jan. 21.

In this case, Pereda was the proverbial player-to-be-named later.

But that makes his acquisition interesting is that he becomes the fifth catcher the Sox have obtained since Chaim Bloom was appointed chief baseball officer last fall. He follows Kevin Plawecki, Connor Wong, Jett Bandy and Jonathan Lucroy.

(Technically, one could also add Juan Centeno, who was granted free agency last fall, then returned on a minor league deal after Bloom was hired).

Granted, none of these players is likely to make Red Sox fans forget Carlton Fisk. Centeno and Bandy, in particular, are 4A types -- journeyman with some big league experience who can serve as insurance at Triple-A should something happen to a catcher on the major league roster.

But the pattern here is not accidental. Catching was one of the thinnest positions in the Red Sox organization. Beyond starter Christian Vazquez, the Red Sox didn't have much at the catcher's spot. They traded Sandy Leon to Cleveland, leaving them, for a time at least, without a single catcher beyond Vazquez with major league experience.



That's since changed considerably. Lucroy, who remains with the Sox on a minor league deal, is a two-time All-Star who finished fourth in National League MVP balloting in 2014. And Plawecki, while hardly an All-Star, at least has five years of major league service time and is regarded as a solid catch-and-throw option.

When -- If? -- the season resumes, there's a good chance both Plawecki and Lucroy will be part of the major league roster, a luxury afforded to the team now that rosters were expanded to 26 players (and likely will be expanded further, at least for the start of the 2020 season).

But it's the addition of both Pereda and Wong that is most noteworthy here, as it serves as a perfect example of the philosophy that Bloom brings to the job.

Bloom's predecessor, Dave Dombrowski, was known to focus on the major league roster, sometimes at the expense of the minor league system. Bloom, by contrast, is a stickler for details and emphasizes the need for depth at every position.

According to SoxProspects.com, the highest-rated catching prospect in the organization just five months ago was Kole Cottam, ranked No. 57 in the system. And Cottam, 22, likely would have begun this season at High A Salem, meaning he was still a couple of years away from potentially making a major league roster.

That's changed considerably since then. While Bandy and Centeno could serve as emergency options at Triple-A, the arrival of Wong and Pereda give the Sox two intriguing prospects at Double-A (or higher).

Of the two, Wong has the higher ceiling. Acquired in the Mookie Betts/David Price deal with the Dodgers, he enjoyed a breakout season at the plate last year, showing real power, with 24 homers and a .541 slugging percentage combined at High-A and Double-A of the Dodgers organization. He also has demonstrated the ability to play second and third, and that versatility could be valuable should he make it to the big leagues next year or beyond.

Some evaluators question whether Wong can become a No. 1 catcher at the major league level. But if he can continue to improve defensively, his offensive upside and the added value he presents by helping out elsewhere around the diamond could make him a strong backup candidate.

If Wong's known, for now, as an offense-first catcher, Pereda is the opposite: a defensively skilled receiver who has yet to demonstrate much offensive ability (.651 career OPS in seven minor league seasons). He won a minor league Gold Glove in 2019 and is known to have a strong throwing arm and good receiving skills, even if his pitch-framing has been somewhat suspect.

Again, none of these catchers have guaranteed careers in the majors, though it would be an upset if Wong doesn't get on a major league roster at some point. But by buffeting the depth at an important position -- especially considering how injury-prone catchers can be -- and restocking the system at catcher, Bloom has shown his attention to detail and the importance he places on maintaining proper depth throughout the organization.