Red Sox 2026 Spring Training

[Old Red]

11 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

What wagon and what hitch?

I'm fine with Thaiss, and due to the optout issues, I'd add him and option Wong, for now.

The vote is in. You’ve shown your love, and you’re hitched.👏

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

What wagon and what hitch?

I'm fine with Thaiss, and due to the optout issues, I'd add him and option Wong, for now.

If you don't care about having Thaiss on the team, why bother arguing about Wong vs Thaiss offensively??? You spend an awful lot of energy trying to show that Wong has something left in the tank for someone who also thinks he can go to AAA. If Thaiss and Wong are virtually the same player to you, it's probably more important to keep the same consistency from year to year with the pitching staff and not demote Wong. 

[Old Red]

14 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

If you don't care about having Thaiss on the team, why bother arguing about Wong vs Thaiss offensively??? You spend an awful lot of energy trying to show that Wong has something left in the tank for someone who also thinks he can go to AAA. If Thaiss and Wong are virtually the same player to you, it's probably more important to keep the same consistency from year to year with the pitching staff and not demote Wong. 

Good post, and it wouldn’t surprise me they keep Wong for what you mentioned.

[Kimmi]

On 3/15/2026 at 1:41 PM, JoeBrady said:

At this point, I'd be leaning towards taking advantage of the fact that Wong has options and Thaiss does not.  Demote Wong, and if Thaiss struggles, cut him and bring Wong back.

I have no issues with Wong as our backup catcher.  In fact, I'm a Wong fan.  However, given the options status of Wong and Thaiss, it makes sense to keep as much depth as possible and to give Thaiss a shot, at least to start the season.

[Kimmi]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

 

Woot!

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Old Red said:

The vote is in. You’ve shown your love, and you’re hitched.👏

What are we in middle school?

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

What are we in middle school?

I think the answer to that should be pretty obvious to you if you've paid attention to this place over the past decade.

[mvp 78]

Kutter and Sandoval are pitching in an MiLB game to Wong today.

 

[mvp 78]

 

[moonslav59]

No surprises on those roster moves.

The day to decide on Thaiss is tomorrow, right?

[mvp 78]

42 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

No surprises on those roster moves.

The day to decide on Thaiss is tomorrow, right?

Thaiss, he has an upward mobility clause five days prior to Opening Day. Cotillo also notes that Thaiss would make a salary of $1.3MM if added to the roster.

When an upward mobility clause is triggered, a player is offered up to the other 29 clubs in the league. If any of them are willing to give the player a roster spot, then the signing club has to either give him a roster spot themselves or trade him to another club that will. If no club offers him a roster spot, then he can be sent to the minors as non-roster depth.

Today is 6 days until Opening Day.

[Donnie Sadler was short]

On 3/16/2026 at 3:30 PM, Kimmi said:

I have no issues with Wong as our backup catcher.  In fact, I'm a Wong fan.  However, given the options status of Wong and Thaiss, it makes sense to keep as much depth as possible and to give Thaiss a shot, at least to start the season.

Yes..and you could also trade him if he doesnt work & still have Wongster

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

As MVP points out, the biggest factor that may give the edge to keeping Wong is pitchers on the staff (except the new guys) already throw to him. This means way more to the team than whether he can contribute with the bat or even peg out baserunners. 

It's normal on ballclubs at all levels to have starters request to pitch to their favorite, even if he's not the regular catcher.

Batteries that work well together in game-planning and setting up batters give their team the best chance to win. The implicit trust hurlers have in their catcher to call pitches -- because he's on the receiving end of their stuff as the game progresses and knows each hitter's tendencies -- gives the entire club confidence. 

As a defender playing behind such tandems, the only thing worse than watching a pitcher lose command is a catcher who can't stop the deliveries. Varitek was the Red Sox' best catcher since Fisk, but who wasn't horrified with the 2004 ALCS on the line when Wakefield came in and knucklers started bouncing to the backstop...

[lucky19]

16 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Thaiss, he has an upward mobility clause five days prior to Opening Day. Cotillo also notes that Thaiss would make a salary of $1.3MM if added to the roster.

When an upward mobility clause is triggered, a player is offered up to the other 29 clubs in the league. If any of them are willing to give the player a roster spot, then the signing club has to either give him a roster spot themselves or trade him to another club that will. If no club offers him a roster spot, then he can be sent to the minors as non-roster depth.

Today is 6 days until Opening Day.

Did you have to?

This is my first post...

[Bellhorn04]

17 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Thaiss, he has an upward mobility clause five days prior to Opening Day. Cotillo also notes that Thaiss would make a salary of $1.3MM if added to the roster.

When an upward mobility clause is triggered, a player is offered up to the other 29 clubs in the league. If any of them are willing to give the player a roster spot, then the signing club has to either give him a roster spot themselves or trade him to another club that will. If no club offers him a roster spot, then he can be sent to the minors as non-roster depth.

Today is 6 days until Opening Day.

Whyfore?

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Whyfore?

That's what was put in his deal. He wants to be on a MLB team on opening day, and must have felt he could beat out Wong.

You think $1.3M is too much? It does seem a little high, but not unrealistic.

[notin]

On 3/16/2026 at 2:07 PM, mvp 78 said:

If you don't care about having Thaiss on the team, why bother arguing about Wong vs Thaiss offensively??? You spend an awful lot of energy trying to show that Wong has something left in the tank for someone who also thinks he can go to AAA. If Thaiss and Wong are virtually the same player to you, it's probably more important to keep the same consistency from year to year with the pitching staff and not demote Wong. 

Arguing the offensive merits of Wong vs Thaiss for back up catcher is like arguing over which member of the three stooges you’d have the most confidence in as your heart surgeon…

[notin]

20 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Thaiss, he has an upward mobility clause five days prior to Opening Day. Cotillo also notes that Thaiss would make a salary of $1.3MM if added to the roster.

When an upward mobility clause is triggered, a player is offered up to the other 29 clubs in the league. If any of them are willing to give the player a roster spot, then the signing club has to either give him a roster spot themselves or trade him to another club that will. If no club offers him a roster spot, then he can be sent to the minors as non-roster depth.

Today is 6 days until Opening Day.

Thaiss was so popular this offseason thr best offer he received was a minor league deal with an upward mobility clause.  The Sox might add him over Wong for some depth, but I’m not sure why any team that was completely uninterested in Thaiss from November until January 31 might now suddenly be interested him,  unless that team has seen a backup catcher go down.  Has there been any such injury?

[notin]

16 hours ago, Donnie Sadler was short said:

Yes..and you could also trade him if he doesnt work & still have Wongster

Thaiss is a 30 year old fringey Major Leaguer. As trade bait, the Sox might deal him for another 30 year old fringey major leaguer…

[Brock Beauchamp]

6 hours ago, lucky19 said:

Did you have to?

This is my first post...

Welcome to Talk Sox!

[mvp 78]

On 3/20/2026 at 12:24 PM, notin said:

Arguing the offensive merits of Wong vs Thaiss for back up catcher is like arguing over which member of the three stooges you’d have the most confidence in as your heart surgeon…

Shemp

[mvp 78]

https://www.winknews.com/news/lee/fort-myers-halts-city-of-palms-park-demolition-after-historic-items-found-in-trash/article_e7a02c15-dfee-4d50-81e5-6afa23caf71b.html

 

[notin]

On 3/17/2026 at 6:55 AM, mvp 78 said:

I think the answer to that should be pretty obvious to you if you've paid attention to this place over the past decade.

Exactly.

We will all make it to middle school someday!!

[notin]

On 3/23/2026 at 7:28 AM, mvp 78 said:

Shemp

You do realize he plans on using plumbing tools and sewing you back up with a craft glue gun?

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, notin said:

You do realize he plans on using plumbing tools and sewing you back up with a craft glue gun?

When my daughter busted her chin the first time, she absolutely lost her mind at the children's hospital. She yelled at the doctor's that she didn't wanted stitches, she wanted the glue. The doctor declined, numbed her up and gave her stitches after she calmed down. It was very embarrassing as a parent. 

When she busted her chin for the second time a few weeks later, she was completely calm and got stitched up right away.

[notin]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

When my daughter busted her chin the first time, she absolutely lost her mind at the children's hospital. She yelled at the doctor's that she didn't wanted stitches, she wanted the glue. The doctor declined, numbed her up and gave her stitches after she calmed down. It was very embarrassing as a parent. 

When she busted her chin for the second time a few weeks later, she was completely calm and got stitched up right away.

Two busted chins in a matter of weeks?  You need to upgrade her bicycle helmet!

[mvp 78]

10 minutes ago, notin said:

Two busted chins in a matter of weeks?  You need to upgrade her bicycle helmet!

Tile floors in FL are not forgiving.