A new addition to camp: What Red Sox catcher Elih Marrero brings to the table
The Red Sox announced this week that they have added a seventh catcher to big league camp. Minor league catcher Elih Marrero was added as they would need another body behind the plate since Jorge Alfaro would be leaving to go play in the WBC for Columbia.
Marrero doesn’t bring much in the hitting category, as he only carried a .593 OPS in 79 games for Portland in 2022. He has basically no power at all, having only four home runs in the Red Sox minor leagues since 2018. His work behind the plate is what has brought him to camp.
A defensive catcher is exactly what the Red Sox need to help fill in while Alfaro is gone and that’s exactly what they are getting in Marrero. He will provide great defense if called upon in any spring training games. He excels in getting down and blocking the balls in the dirt, which is a skill that shouldn’t be looked down upon in the Spring with guys getting into form. Look for him to get thrown into a few games early in the Spring as some of the catchers get into form as well.
The baseball genes run in the family, as his dad, Eli Marrero, had a ten year career as catcher that bounced around the league a bit towards the end of his career. It seems both father and son weren’t big on the power numbers, as Eli only had 66 home runs in 2126 games played.
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