Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy hard-launched a new default lineup on Saturday, even if it's possible that the change might not be permanent.
"At the moment, with right-handers, we're looking to be aggressive to get Mickey ( Gasper ) in there," Tracy said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. "That's not an easy thing for a drastic shift and the other two guys ( Connor Wong and Carlos Narvez) want to be in there, but we have to capitalize on that."
If Gasper is going to be the primary catcher in the strong side of the platoon, the Red Sox will play the majority of their games with two catchers taking up half of the bench. It makes all the sense in the world to correct that flaw, and the most feasible solution is fairly obvious.
Mar 7, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; Great Britain third baseman Nate Eaton (18) hits a solo home run against the United States during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Rather than fielding an all-catcher lineup by trying to shift Wong around the infield or outfield (it happened in 2024), the Red Sox should simply demote Wong to Triple-A and call up Nate Eaton , who has pretty clearly deserved a major league roster spot all along.
Wong has one final minor-league option remaining, and there's no reason for the Red Sox to pocket it for next year. At this point, Wong is probably a non-tender candidate if he can't rise up from third on the catching depth chart by the end of the season.
Eaton, meanwhile, could be in the lineup against all left-handed pitchers (third base, outfield, or designated hitter) and actually make an impact. In September last season, he was pretty clearly a top-three hitter in the lineup when Roman Anthony was injured, and Alex Bregman was floundering.
Wong famously hasn't homered since Sept. 8, 2024. Eaton not only delivered down the stretch for the Sox last year, but he shined in the World Baseball Classic for Team Great Britain, then accepted a demotion to Triple-A in stride and started raking again (.822 OPS this season in 46 games).
The Red Sox could really use Eaton as the extra bench guy right now. He'd be either the fastest or second-fastest guy on the active roster, and he might provide some much needed pop against lefties.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/onsi as Red Sox Could Easily Demote Connor Wong After Mickey Gasper Decision .
