Mickey Gasper said his return to the Boston Red Sox in January 2026 felt like something he had been waiting for. The catcher and New Hampshire native was claimed off waivers by Boston, and he did not hide what it meant to him. “It’s a dream come true,” Gasper said. “I got goosebumps when I was told that the Red Sox claimed me.”
For Gasper, the move marked a second stint with the organization after he was with the Red Sox in 2024. He said the feeling of being back was immediate. “It was surreal,” he said. “So this is right where I want to be. It’s where my heart is and I absolutely love playing for the Red Sox.”
That return comes as the organization has been moving pieces around at multiple levels. Late in April, Chad Tracy was promoted to interim manager of the big club in Boston, while WooSox coach Iggy Suarez was named interim manager in Worcester. Gasper said Tracy’s rise fit the way the Red Sox have built their staff across the system. “It’s just a guy that’s earned it, putting the hours, putting the days at the minor league level, coaching, and loving this game, giving everything he’s got,” Gasper said. “My favorite thing about him is how much energy, how much he wants to be here every day.”
He said the changes have not altered the way hitters are being handled, because the organization keeps the same basic message running through every stop. Gasper said the Red Sox have a common theme throughout the system, with coaches staying on the same page when it comes to scouting reports and communication. “Everybody’s their best hitting coach,” he said. “We’ve all done this for a long time. Obviously, there’s a little turnover. Nothing’s going to really change.”
For Boston, Gasper’s return is another small but visible sign of continuity in a season shaped by change. For Gasper, it is simpler than that. He is back where he says he belongs, in an organization he still describes with the kind of certainty that cannot be manufactured. “It’s where my heart is and I absolutely love playing for the Red Sox,” he said.
