"When an upward mobility clause is triggered, a player is offered up to the other 29 clubs in the league. If any of them are willing to give the player a roster spot, then the signing club has to either give him a roster spot themselves or trade him to another club that will. If no club offers him a roster spot, then he can be sent to the minors as non-roster depth."
"Thaiss, 31 in May, is competing for the job backing up Carlos Narváez. Thaiss's defense is questionable but he clearly has a keen eye at the plate, having drawn a walk in 13.1% of his career plate appearances. That has helped him produce a .210/.320/.332 batting line. The resulting 84 wRC+ indicates his production has been 16% below a league average hitter but backstops are generally about ten points below par, so that's not too bad for a backup catcher."
"The Sox have Connor Wong on the roster but he still has a minor league option remaining and put up a dismal .190/.262/.238 line last year. Mickey Gasper is optionable and can also play other positions. If the Sox wanted to, they could add Thaiss to the roster and option Wong and Gasper to serve as depth in Triple-A."
Matt Thaiss, a 31-year-old catcher, has an upward mobility clause triggering five days before Opening Day. If activated, other MLB teams can claim him for a roster spot, forcing the Red Sox to either promote him, trade him, or lose him. Thaiss would earn $1.3MM if added to the roster. He competes for the backup catcher role behind Carlos Narváez. While his defense is questionable, Thaiss demonstrates strong plate discipline with a 13.1% career walk rate and an 84 wRC+, performing slightly below average for a backup catcher. The Red Sox could promote Thaiss by optioning Connor Wong or Mickey Gasper, though this requires opening a 40-man roster spot.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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