The Boston Red Sox’s 2025 season was marked by a persistent search for a reliable third catcher to support rookie starter Carlos Narváez. However, the team’s efforts were complicated by challenges, including an injury to their incumbent starter and a series of underwhelming performances from prospective backups. As the season concluded, it became clear that one of their minor league signings, Chadwick Tromp, a native of Oranjestad, Aruba, is likely to walk away as a free agent, with the Red Sox making little effort to retain him.
Throughout the 2025 season, Boston cycled through multiple candidates to fill the third catcher role. Incumbent starter Connor Wong, who played through a nagging hand injury, underwent “right hand carpal boss excision” surgery after the Red Sox were eliminated in the American League Wild Card round. Wong’s injury placed additional pressure on the team to find a dependable backup. The Red Sox tested Blake Sabol and Ali Sanchez, neither of whom solidified the role. They also signed veteran Yasmani Grandal to a minor league contract, but Grandal abruptly quit in June, seemingly eyeing retirement.
On July 29, the Red Sox made another attempt to address the catcher depth issue by signing Chadwick Tromp to a minor league contract and assigning him to Triple-A Worcester. The 30-year-old Tromp, a six-year veteran with only 67 games of major league experience, had a limited resume. In 2025, he appeared in just eight major league games, split between the Atlanta Braves and the Baltimore Orioles, where he managed three hits in 21 at-bats, including a home run and a double. Despite these flashes of power, his overall performance was lackluster.
Tromp’s journey to Boston was unconventional. On July 25, the Orioles outrighted him to their Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia, but Tromp, a 2013 international signing by the Cincinnati Reds, elected free agency instead of reporting. Just four days later, the Red Sox signed him. Earlier in the season, Tromp had also chosen free agency after being outrighted by the Braves, showcasing his willingness to seek new opportunities.
However, Tromp’s stint with Worcester was underwhelming. In 28 games, he hit a mere .135 with a .350 OPS, numbers that failed to impress the Red Sox organization. Given his track record of electing free agency and his lack of production in Triple-A, Tromp is expected to become a free agent again in the coming weeks, seeking a new team for the 2026 season. The Red Sox, unimpressed with his performance, are unlikely to make any effort to retain him.
Interestingly, Tromp hails from Oranjestad, Aruba, the same hometown as former Red Sox star and current San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Tromp and Bogaerts are the only two active players from the Dutch-owned Caribbean island in United States professional baseball, and they are among just six Arubans to ever play in Major League Baseball. Despite this unique connection, Tromp’s departure from Boston seems imminent, marking yet another chapter in the Red Sox’s ongoing struggle to stabilize their catching corps.
As Tromp prepares to leave for nothing, the Red Sox’s decision to let their Aruban star walk may be seen as a quiet admission of a failed experiment. With their sights now set on the offseason, Boston will need to address their catching depth more effectively to avoid similar missteps in 2026.