Report: Red Sox bring in Alfaro on minor-league deal
The Boston Red Sox have added some catching depth, agreeing to a minor-league contract with free-agent backstop Jorge Alfaro, a source told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
Alfaro, 29, will earn a base salary of $2 million if he's on the major-league roster, according to Cotillo. If he's playing in Triple-A, he'll have a pair of opt-out clauses that can be used June 1 and July 1.
The native of Colombia spent last season with the San Diego Padres, where he mostly served as a backup to Austin Nola and an occasional designated hitter. Alfaro hit .246/.285/.383 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs across 82 regular-season games. Defensively he struggled, allowing a National League-leading seven passed balls - the second straight season he led in that category - while catching just five runners stealing. After not playing during the Padres' playoff run, he was non-tendered in November.
In Boston, Alfaro will compete with incumbents Reese McGuire and Connor Wong, as well as fellow non-roster invitees Ronaldo Hernandez and Caleb Hamilton, for one of the catching spots on the Red Sox roster.
A former top catching prospect, Alfaro is a lifetime .256/.305/.396 hitter with 47 homers and 194 RBIs across parts of seven big-league seasons with the Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, and Miami Marlins.