The 30-year-old was selected by the Angels in the first round out of the University of Virginia in 2016. He debuted for them in 2019 and hit .211/.293/.422 with an 86 wRC+ and a .211 ISO in 164 plate appearances that year. Thaiss has continued to promote the WRC+ values of the mid-80s throughout his career. After not getting much playing time from 2020 to 2022, he got an extended look in 2023, earning 307 PA in 95 games for the Halos. His strikeout rate of 27.0% that year was worse than average, although his above-average walk rate of 11.7% kept his on-base percentage above .300 even though he had a low batting average.
By 2024, Logan O’Hoppe‘s ascension to the starting catcher role limited Thaiss’ playing time. The team signed in November Travis d’Arnaud as their new backup catcher and designated Thaiss for assignment. He was traded first to the Cubs and eventually to the White Sox. He split 2025 between the White Sox and Rays, hitting .218/.349/.288 with an 89 wRC+ that was serviceable enough for a backup catcher. Reviews of his defense were mixed. He was worth 3 defensive runs in 411 2/3 innings behind the plate this year and got positive marks for his blocking. On the other hand, Statcast rated his steals, framing, and pop time all in the 18th percentile or lower.
For the Red Sox, Thaiss is a no-risk depth option behind the incumbent Carlos Narvaez And Connor Wong. Narvaez had a 97 wRC+ in 446 PA this year and was worth 10 DRS behind the plate. Wong and Thaiss won’t challenge him for starting time, but Thaiss’ consistent mid-80s wRC+ and above-average run speed could challenge Wong for the backup spot, where Wong was a decent defender but a black hole offensively in 2025 (39 wRC+). Thaiss has more than three years of service and is out of options.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
#Red #Sox #Matt #Thaiss #agree #Minor #League #deal