The Boston Red Sox spent much of 2025 in search of a third catcher to back up rookie starter Carlos Narváez.
After the season, it turned out that incumbent starter Connor Wong was trying to play through a hand injury, which he had repaired via “right hand carpal boss excision” surgery following the Red Sox’s elimination from the postseason in the American League Wild Card round.
The Red Sox cycled through Blake Sabol and Ali Sanchez as their prospective third catcher, as well as veteran Yasmani Grandal, who was signed to a minor league contract only to simply quit in June, apparently with an eye on retirement.
On July 29, the Red Sox tried again, signing six-year veteran Chadwick Tromp to a minor league contract and assigning him to Triple-A Worcester. The 30-year-old Tromp had only 67 games of major league experience over his career, with only eight this season divided between the Atlanta Braves, where he got into two games, and the Baltimore Orioles.
Tromp managed only three hits in 21 at-bats in those eight games — though one of his hits was a home run, and another was a double.
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On July 25, the Orioles outrighted Tromp to their Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, Va., but the 2013 Cincinnati Reds international signing chose to become a free agent rather than report to Norfolk. Four days later, the Red Sox signed Tromp and sent him to Worcester.
Tromp had actually elected free agency earlier in the season as well, after he was outrighted by the Braves.
Given his record of choosing free agency, Tromp is expected to become a free agent yet again within the next few weeks, electing to leave the Red Sox and attempt to sign on with another organization. With Tromp hitting only .135 and compiling a negligible .350 OPS in 28 games for Worcester, the Red Sox are highly likely to make no effort to retain Tromp.
The catcher is a native of Oranjestad, Aruba — the same hometown as former Red Sox, now San Diego Padres, shortstop Xander Bogaerts. In fact, Bogaerts and Tromp are the only two players hailing from the Dutch-owned Caribbean island currently in United States professional baseball. The pair are two of only six Arubans ever to play in MLB.
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