One GM explains why there are no May trades
It appears when it comes to players left over from the 2018 World Series-winning team, the Red Sox might be down to two.
After the Sox' 9-1 loss to the Cardinals Sunday night, Ryan Brasier informed reporters he had been designated for assignment.
"Honestly, a new start might not be bad,” Brasier said, according to MassLive.com. “Obviously getting to play at Fenway every day is a dream come true. Two parks you want to play at growing up are Yankee Stadium and Fenway. And I got to do both a lot. So grateful. It sucks obviously but new start."
The move leaves Chris Sale and Rafael Devers as the only two players left from the Red Sox title team of five years ago.
Brasier - who allowed three runs on four hits over 2 1/3 innings in the loss Sunday - couldn't quite bottle the momentum gained in the final month of 2022. After managing the third-best batting average against of any reliever with at least 13 appearances to close out last season, the righty sits with a 7.29 ERA in 20 appearances.
The 35-year-old came out of nowhere in 2018 to play a key role in the 2018 team's success, finishing that regular season with a 1.60 ERA in 34 appearances. He also allowed just one run in 8 2/3 innings during that postseason run.
This career momentum was somewhat derailed in 2021 when while recovering from a broken hand sustained in the offseason, Brasier was hit in the head with a 104 mph line-drive during what was supposed to be his final rehab assignment appearance. He would appear in just 13 games that season.
The move comes on the heels of the Red Sox needing to free up a roster spot for lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez, who appears to be slated for activation Monday after missing the start of the season due to an oblique injury.