Red Sox Designate Pitcher For Assignment Days After Trading For Him
In this story:
The Boston Red Sox made a move to bolster their starting pitching staff which cost them a mid-level reliever -- at least for the time being.
The Red Sox designated right-hander Zack Littell for assignment Wednesday to make room for left-handed starting pitcher James Paxton on the roster, the team announced.
Boston traded cash to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Littell on Saturday. The 27-year-old hurler was off to a fantastic start at Triple-A Round Rock but had a pair of outings with Boston that left something to be desired.
Littell allowed three earned runs with three hits, two strikeouts and three walks across three innings of work. The sample size was not enough to determine much of anything but his stuff did appear to be better than his results imply.
It's likely that Littell will return to the Red Sox organization for Triple-A Worcester, assuming he clears waivers. He had to be placed on the big league roster initially due to an upward-mobility clause but this designation negates any contractual agreement.
While the move is not going to have a major impact on the roster, it does further prove the organization's trust in Ryan Brasier -- which continues to be absolutely mind-blowing.
Littell likely will be back on the roster at some point but it's a shame to see him lose his spot when there is a much more obvious player to cut on the active roster.
More MLB: Red Sox's Nick Pivetta Has Fiery Response To Potential Transition To Bullpen
