BOSTON — Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez received just one contract offer as a 16-year-old Venezuelan amateur catcher in 2015.
“Back then I never was a prospect,” Narváez said here at Fenway Park on Wednesday. “The Yankees were the only team.”
The Red Sox and Yankees will play for the first time this season Friday at Yankee Stadium. Narváez will return as Boston’s cleanup hitter after switching sides in the rivalry during the offseason.
The Red Sox acquired Narváez from the Yankees for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz on Dec. 11. He made Boston’s Opening Day roster as the backup catcher. The 26-year-old is now the starting catcher, and he has batted cleanup six times and third in the order twice since May 24.
He’s hitting .288 with a .356 on-base percentage, .456 slugging percentage, .812 OPS, five home runs, 12 doubles, 19 RBIs, 24 runs, 17 walks and 43 strikeouts in 47 games (177 plate appearances).
He’s also been one of the league’s top defenders behind the plate. He’s in the 97th percentile in blocks above average (6), 92nd percentile in framing (4) and 80th percentile in caught stealing above average (2).
“There were a couple of teams interested but the (only) ‘offer offer’ was the Yankees,” said Narváez, adding New York was the lone team to “actually put money on the table.”
Narváez signed his first pro contract July 2, 2015 for $50,000. Baseball America described him in a March 2016 article as a “low bonus sleeper.”
“Super proud to wear this uniform now with Boston. At the same time, I always say that I’m super thankful for what they (the Yankees) did for me,” Narváez said. “I grew up with them. It was nine years with them. So I’m thankful for what they did for me but at the same time, I’ve got a new role with a new team. The amazing thing is it’s Boston. So super pumped for this trip.”
He appeared in just six major league games before this season, all coming last year. But he spent more than a month on New York’s active roster in 2024 despite his limited play. He was able to see big league game-planning first-hand.
“I was there for the whole postseason, too, on the taxi squad,” Narváez said. “So I was there and in all the meetings and all that stuff. So I lived with the pressure a little bit, too, in those moments. All that growing last year, postseason, World Series, I definitely learned a lot from it.”
He was close with Yankees catcher Austin Wells. They played together in the minors as well.
“I definitely learned a lot and … I think everything I lived (through) last year was an experience to use this year,” he said.
Narváez has experienced the rivalry already. He was active for a three-game series here at Fenway Park last year.
“I didn’t play but I came and I remember I signed the wall (inside the Green Monster) and everything,” he said. “So being able to be on this side, to play for the Boston Red Sox now, and actually playing, for me, it’s a dream come true. For real. I never expected actually being here having this opportunity. I’m super pumped.”
The Red Sox and Yankees play a three-game series Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The finale will be on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
“It’s going to be interesting, of course,” Narváez said. “Being back, on this side, is going to be so much fun.”
Narváez said he never dreamed as a kid of signing with one specific team because he never had a favorite team. He did have a favorite player though. He said he “loved” Miguel Cabrera.
“That’s my idol as just a young kid,” he said. “So I always followed him and he was with the Marlins and then with Detroit. I didn’t have a (favorite) team overall. But of course I always watched Yankees/Boston. … I liked Victor Martinez who played here, was a catcher, too. David Ortiz. But I was trying just to sign and play pro ball.”