Red Sox Cut 24-Year-Old Catcher After 6 Years in the Organization

The offseason is here for the Boston Red Sox and the club made a move earlier in the week involving the catching depth in the organization.

The catcher position is one that hasn't been smooth for the Red Sox for years. That was until Boston went out and acquired Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. With the 2027 season approaching, the Red Sox actually are in their best position in years when it comes to the starting catcher job. After Rutschman, there are still question marks, though. Connor Wong is the Red Sox's backup at the moment, but he was in trade rumors this past summer. After these two, there isn't a lot of depth in the minors. Mickey Gasper is someone to watch this offseason. Plus, Boston cut ties with one of its Triple-A backstops on Oct. 15.

Boston released 24-year-old backstop Juan Montero after six years in the organization. The move is reflected on Montero's official MiLB.com profile.

The Red Sox Moved On From Juan Montero

Montero only played in five games throughout the 2026 season with Triple-A Worcester. Throughout the 2026 season, he bounced around and was placed on the Development List and then activated a handful of times. When he was actually on the field, Montero slashed .200/.333/.200 with a run scored.

Montero made his professional debut with the organization back in 2021 and played in 138 total games in six years before his release on Oct. 15. Despite lower-than-expected numbers, he did work his way all the way up to Triple-A. He was one step away from the big leagues, despite slashing .209/.337/.302 with two home runs and 48 RBIs in 138 total professional games.

Right now, Rutschman and Wong are the only two catchers on the Red Sox's 40-man roster right now. Beyond these two, the Red Sox don't really have a catcher in the organization who could come in and realistically make an impact near the majors. Boston's top catcher prospect is Gerardo Rodriguez, who is Boston's No. 24 overall prospect and hasn't played above High-A just yet in his professional career. Luke Heyman is the Red Sox's second-highest-rated catcher prospect at No. 25. He also hasn't played above High-A. The Red Sox need more catcher depth, not less.

Moving on from Montero gets rid of a backstop who has at least played at the Triple-A level, although only a little bit. This winter, Boston needs to add more Triple-A depth. Also, this shows why it should be a priority to give Rutschman an extension this winter. He's a top-five catcher in the game and there isn't much behind him in the Red Sox organization right now.