Red Sox Make Surprise Cut After Officially Announcing Justin Turner Signing
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The Boston Red Sox improved the 2023 roster by adding a quality corner infielder/designated hitter whose numbers mirrored J.D. Martinez's last season.
Unfortunately, the club also shed some depth in an area of weakness in order to bring Turner onto the 40-man roster.
In a corresponding move for Turner's signing, the Red Sox designated left-hander reliever Darwinzon Hernandez for assignment.
Hernandez struggled mightily last season, allowing a whopping 16 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings, but has shown flashes of brilliance in seasons prior.
The 26-year-old posted a 3.17 ERA with a .195 batting average against, 30.2% strikeout rate and 150 ERA+ in 48 1/3 innings between 2020 and 2021.
That said, he also had a 1.51 WHIP and 17.6% walk rate during that span.
Hernandez has an electric pitch mix, but he's never had the control needed to be a high-leverage reliever.
Still, Hernandez is worth developing. Few pitchers possess as high of a ceiling, and he still is a fairly young pitcher.
The only remaining southpaws in the bullpen are newly acquired Joely Rodríguez and Josh Taylor -- who did not throw a pitch at the major league level last season due to a nagging back injury he sustained late in the 2021 season.
Boston is in desperate need of a left-handed reliever. While it makes sense for a roster undergoing an overhaul to shed a project player that has yet to truly work out, they would benefit greatly if Hernandez can sneak through waivers and decides to stay in the organization -- outside of the 40-man roster.
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