The Boston Red Sox have dealt with poor offensive production the entire season. First baseman Willson Contreras is practically the only player on the team with sustained offensive success.
However, catcher has been one of the least successful positions by power output on the team, with just two home runs total between the three catchers on the roster.
It appears Boston is attempting to bring in a fresh bat.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Red Sox have signed veteran catcher Andrew Knizner to a minor league deal.
He will likely report to Triple-A Worcester immediately.
What Will Andrew Knizner Bring to the Boston Red Sox?
The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Knizner in the seventh round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of North Carolina State University.
He would make his debut with the Cardinals in 2019, but would play sparingly as the third catcher behind legend Yadier Molina and Matt Wieters until 2021.
He’d get his first taste of extensive action in 2021, but had just a .517 OPS.
The next season, he followed that up with a .601 OPS. In 2023, he had a career high of 10 home runs and a .712 OPS.
However, he was granted free agency after that season and signed with the Texas Rangers. He followed his career-best season with his career-worst season, slashing .167/.183/.211 with one home run.
The Rangers waived Knizner, and he bounced around a few teams’ minor league affiliates. He settled with the San Francisco Giants late in 2025 and had a .598 OPS.
The Colorado Rockies signed Knizner to a minor league deal this offseason, and he has thrived in a hitter-friendly league.
While playing just 33 games in Triple-A Albuquerque, he has hit 10 home runs with a .962 OPS. This may be just what the Red Sox need to solve their catching problems if he can somehow keep his production even close to this.
How Will Knizner Fit on the Team?
So far this season, the Red Sox have gone with a three-catcher tandem of Carlos Narváez, Mickey Gasper and Connor Wong.
While it’s unknown if any of the three are injured or will imminently be sent down, they have all been below-average at their position.
While Narváez has two home runs, his slugging percentage sits at .283, an awful sign of low power. This is especially concerning after a sixth-place American League Rookie of the Year finish. In 2025, he hit 15 home runs in 118 games and seemed to be the future of the position.
As for Gasper, he has hit leadoff a few times this season already, but sports a .642 OPS with zero home runs.
Finally, Wong, despite not hitting a single home run in the last two seasons, has been the best catcher by bWAR.
He sports a .698 OPS in his sixth season.
If Knizner is called up, he might be able to supplant Narváez or Gasper based on their poor stats. Knizner could very well have a better power stroke this season, which is exactly what Boston needs.
Either way, this move doesn’t move the needle a whole lot, but it will be one worth monitoring moving forward.
Red Sox Sign 7-Year MLB Catcher to Minor League Deal