The Boston Red Sox may not be ready to publicly strip Carlos Narváez of the starting catcher label, but manager Alex Cora’s latest comments made one thing clear: this is no longer the clean, settled situation it looked like at the start of spring training.
According to reporting from Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald, Cora sidestepped a direct question Saturday when asked whether he still considers Narváez his starting catcher. Instead of offering a firm endorsement, the Red Sox manager answered, “He’s a catcher for the team. Both of them.” That might sound harmless on the surface, but managers usually do not get vague when they feel secure about a role. And right now, Boston’s catching picture looks a lot more fluid than it did two months ago.
That shift is not hard to understand.
Narváez earned real trust last year, especially with his defense. He finished his rookie season hitting .241 with a .726 OPS, 15 home runs, 27 doubles, and strong run production, while also leading all big league catchers in assists and runners caught stealing. He played through a painful knee issue in the second half of the year and gave the Red Sox exactly the kind of toughness and defensive reliability teams want behind the plate. That résumé bought him a long leash.
But the problem for Boston is that early 2026 has started to expose how thin the margin is when the bat disappears.
Through 12 games, Narváez was hitting .195 with no extra-base hits, no RBIs, only one walk, and 14 strikeouts. That is not a slump a manager can ignore forever, especially when the alternative is producing. Connor Wong entered Saturday batting .381 with four doubles in just 21 at-bats, already halfway to his 2025 doubles total. Even in a small sample, that kind of contrast quickly changes the conversation.
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Alex Cora Is Framing This as a Team Decision
GettyAroldis Chapman #44 and Carlos Narvaez #75 of the Boston Red Sox share a hug after the final out of the 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day at Great American Ball Park on March 26, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Cora tried to present the situation as matchup-based and team-first rather than a demotion. With Tarik Skubal on the mound Saturday, the Red Sox rolled out a right-handed-heavy lineup, and Wong got the start. Narváez was expected to be back behind the plate Sunday. That kind of split lets Cora avoid declaring a new hierarchy, but it also tells the story on its own.
When a manager says, “This is not about who’s starting and who’s not. It’s about trying to win games,” he is usually admitting the competition is open, even if he does not want to say it that bluntly.
And honestly, that is probably the smartest way for Boston to handle it right now. Narváez is still the better defender, and Cora made sure to emphasize that. Wong, meanwhile, is giving the Red Sox better offense and appears healthier and freer with his swing after last year’s injury-disrupted season. Boston does not necessarily need to choose one permanently this minute. It needs to ride the better version of both players whenever possible.
The Red Sox May Be Headed for a True Timeshare
GettyConnor Wong #12 of the Boston Red Sox throws to first base for an out on a hit by Gleyber Torres #25 of the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on April 17, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
What makes this worth watching is that it no longer feels like Wong is just easing back into the mix. It feels like he is playing his way into a legitimate share of the job again.
Cora praised the communication between both catchers and pointed to Narváez’s framing background as something that has helped Wong improve. That matters, because if Wong is hitting and his defense is stabilizing, Boston suddenly has fewer reasons to keep him in a clear backup role.
So while Cora may still be avoiding labels, the Red Sox are telling everyone what this is through their actions. Narváez entered the season as the starter. But Boston’s catcher situation now looks like a real competition. It is no longer settled. If Wong keeps hitting and Narváez keeps struggling, Cora may not be able to stay coy much longer.
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