The catching position has been a hot topic for the Boston Red Sox of late, but not much attention was paid to Andrew Knizner. Before Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers arrived via trade, and before Carlos Narváez exited for the Baltimore Orioles, Knizner was knocking around as a backup option in Triple-A. He signed a minor-league deal with Boston at the end of June after opting out of his deal with the Colorado Rockies. For the Worcester Red Sox, Knizner was very good at the plate. But the organization didn't see any reason to rock the boat and bring him to the majors, and Knizner, who hasn't played in the majors at any point this season, still believes someone else might give him that shot. Knizner officially released after triggering opt-outMar 12, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Andrew Knizner (25) reaches for the ball on hit by Chicago Cubs center fielder Chas McCormick (55) in the second inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAccording to the official transactions log on his roster page, Knizner was released by the Red Sox on Friday. But according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, it was Knizner who made the decision to leave the organization by triggering an opt-out in his contract. To call it a hectic year thus far for Knizner would be a dramatic understatement. The 31-year-old last played in the majors for the San Francisco Giants last year, and has since played Triple-A ball for three affiliated clubs without making it back to the majors for what would be an eighth season. Knizner signed a major league deal with the Seattle Mariners in December, making him the early favorite to win the backup job, but he lost a camp battle to longtime Mariner Mitch Garver, who re-signed with the club early in spring. Ironically enough, Garver was also recently released and is now a member of the New York Yankees organization. For Worcester, Garver put up a .317/.426/.494 slash line in 21 games. The Red Sox didn't think he could do anything resembling that production in the majors, though, or they wouldn't have insisted upon Rogers being included in the megadeal for Rutschman on Monday. Though he's mostly been a backup in his career, Knizner has seen 323 games of major league action since debuting in 2019, and he put up a 1.0-bWAR season for the St. Louis Cardinals in 70 games back in 2023. He played for the Texas Rangers in 2024 before moving to the Giants last year. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow