Red Sox 28-Year-Old In Precarious Position After Week Of Trades

Where does this roster shakeout leave Jovani Morán?

Mar 5, 2019; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A detailed view of a Boston Red Sox cap, sunglasses and glove in the dugout during a spring training game between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The offseason is restful for most Major League Baseball players, but to those on the roster bubble, every day can be excruciating.

Most of the Boston Red Sox's big-league contributors from this past season are either working out in anticipation of another year in Boston or testing free agency. And after a heap of roster moves this past week to trim the 40-man roster down ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, most returners would seem to be safe.

However, one of the returners was someone we previously would have projected to not be safe, and now, the Red Sox have suddenly gone from having a surplus of players in his exact role to a bit of a shortage.

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Is Jovani Morán going to make the team?

Aug 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Jovani Moran (47) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The player in question is 28-year-old left-hander Jovani Morán, who made just two appearances for the Red Sox this season after returning from Tommy John surgery and spending most of the year in Triple-A.

Morán seemed to be a candidate to be designated for assignment ahead of the Tuesday deadline to elevate the Rule 5 guys, but instead, Boston traded two other lefties, Brennan Bernardino to the Colorado Rockies and Chris Murphy to the Chicago White Sox.

Suddenly, as beat reporter Chris Cotillo chronicled for MassLive, it appeared Morán was in position to play more of an active role on this year's Red Sox bullpen depth chart.

"Surprisingly, lefty Jovani Morán has survived the roster crunch to this point and remains a candidate to pitch meaningful innings," Cotillo wrote.

On the other hand, southpaw Shane Drohan was one of the three players elevated to the 40-man roster on Tuesday, and his Triple-A numbers were significantly more impressive than Morán's. We could also see a starter-type like Kyle Harrison move to the bullpen.

With that context in mind, it tracks that Boston Herald reporter Mac Cerullo wrote Friday that Morán could still be in jeopardy of losing his spot.

"As it stands now, the only proven lefty remaining in the Red Sox bullpen is Aroldis Chapman, who will be the club’s closer," Cerullo wrote. "The only other pure lefty reliever on the 40-man roster is Jovani Moran, who only made two appearances in the big leagues this past season and who will likely be on the chopping block if the Red Sox need to clear space for a future pitching addition this offseason."

For now, we have to wait and see what other additions the Red Sox make. Even if Morán survives the full winter on the 40-man roster, Boston can tell us they don't see him as part of the picture by signing more lefties, and incumbents Justin Wilson and Steven Matz remain available in free agency.

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