Two Red Sox players clear waivers, remain in the organization, and are assigned to Triple-A Worcester (report)
The Red Sox will retain both infielder Pablo Reyes and right-handed pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez after both players cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Worcester.
Both players stay in the organization but will no longer be on the 40-man roster. Joely Rodriguez also accepted an assignment to the WooSox after he was designated for assignment last week.
Reyes played in 21 games, making 14 starts for the Red Sox this season. He played all four infield spots and struggled defensively. He ranked in the second percentile in range/outs above average at -4, according to Statcast.
In addition to struggling in the field, Reyes’ bat was ineffective where he batted .183 with two doubles, no homers, one stolen base, and owned a .451 OPS.
“He did a good job last year,” Alex Cora said to reporters last week. “This year, he never got on track, especially defensively. He made some errors and all that, but offensively, you can see his swing, and he controls the strike zone. He didn’t get hits, but the at-bats were good. Defensively was the one where we were not disappointed, because they’re going to make errors, but he never got on track.
“He never took off this year. Let’s put it that way. But he’s still a good player. I won’t be surprised if somebody claims him or does something with him because he’s versatile. He can hit lefties.”
Reyes will join Enmanuel Valdez and Bobby Dalbec in the WooSox clubhouse after spending time with them on the 26-man Red Sox roster.
The Red Sox acquired Gutierrez from the Brewers for cash in mid-April. He was designated for assignment on May 1st, after the club signed Dominic Smith.
During his short stint in Worcester, Gutierrez walked eight batters and gave up four earned runs in six frames.
Reyes and Gutierrez provide the Red Sox with great depth at the upper levels in the event someone else gets hurt. On the flip side, both players are taking up a roster spot for another player, potentially in Portland, that deserves a shot at Triple-A.
