McGuire challenges for more playing time

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Reese McGuire started 40 percent of the games the Red Sox played after he was acquired from the White Sox at the trade deadline in 2023.

The percentage dropped to 31 last season as Connor Wong became the primary catcher. That McGuire was on the injured list for nearly six weeks with an oblique strain skewed the numbers, but it was apparent Wong had earned the trust of manager Alex Cora and the coaching staff.

The 29-year-old McGuire had two choices at that point: accept his diminished role or fight for more playing time.

He’s fighting — and winning. McGuire was in the lineup for the fifth time in eight games when the Red Sox played the Angels on Friday night.

He came into the game 5 for 15 with a double.

McGuire bats lefthanded and Wong righthanded, but Cora doesn’t see it as a strict platoon.

“He’s swinging the bat well. That’s the bottom line,” Cora said. “He’s catching well. Both of them, they’re really good at what they do. But right now Reese is swinging the bat well and that’s why he’s playing.”

The Sox held meetings with all of their players in the final days of last season. Cora said the message to McGuire was brutally honest: He had to get in better shape.

McGuire hit .267 with little power over 187 at-bats last season because of inconsistent bat speed. If he wanted to play more, he had to get stronger and become more of a consistent threat at the plate. He went to Fort Myers, Fla., for a minicamp at the team complex in November and reported to spring training in early January to begin his preparations for the season. Cora, catching coach Jason Varitek, and hitting coach Pete Fatse were all there in November and took notice.

“That’s when it started,” Cora said. “He went through the program and did well. He decided, ‘You know what? I’m going to work.’ He wasn’t happy with the season he had last year.”

McGuire said it came down to putting in the time.

“I was in Fort Myers right after the new year to start hitting off the machines to improve my bat speed,” he said. “It was much earlier than usual for me by three or four weeks. I wanted to be ready once spring training started.”

McGuire has enjoyed working with new pitching coach Andrew Bailey on developing a game plan for the pitchers. That’s the mental part of the game.

“It’s a mind-set,” he said. “Have an overall attack plan to throw strikes. Whatever pitch is the best to get a strike, leverage that. Throw the pitch that will create the least damage. It’s all attacking the strike zone with whatever you have. Any pitch at any time.”

Under Bailey, the Sox have used more breaking balls and off-speed pitches, increasing the challenge for catchers to block balls in the dirt or frame pitches on the corners.

“Our pitchers trust their stuff,” McGuire said. “Sometimes when you’re catching and you anticipate a swingand-miss, you get a big horizontal movement and that can be a tough pitch to frame.”

Varitek has worked with the catchers on catching slow breaking balls, using a pitching machine in drills.

“Connor and I have put in a lot of work but it’s paid off,” McGuire said.

The Red Sox see Kyle Teel as their catcher of the future. The 22-year-old was the 14th pick of the amateur draft last June and finished the season in Double A, posting a .945 OPS in nine games.

Teel was assigned back to Portland to start the season. The Sea Dogs are scheduled to start their season Sunday after two games were postponed by wintry weather.

It’s possible Teel could earn a quick promotion to Triple A and make his major league debut later this season.

For now, McGuire and Wong share the job and it’s McGuire who has stepped forward.

In a good way, Cora said, McGuire has been selfish.

“He wants to play. He wants to be the everyday catcher,” the manager said. “He did everything possible in the offseason to put himself in a good spot and right now he’s doing a good job hitting the ball all over the place and finishing at-bats.”