Red Sox Release 24-Year-Old Catcher After Short Tenure

Will the Michigan State product catch on elsewhere?

Feb 18, 2019; Lee County, FL, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox helmet as Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) walks on the field during a spring training workout at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

It hasn't been the busiest month of December for the Boston Red Sox down on the farm, but a couple of weeks ago, the club severed ties with one of its young catchers.

Caleb Berry, who the Red Sox signed as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State in July, wound up playing in just seven minor-league games this season for the Salem Red Sox in High-A. Evidently, the sample the Red Sox saw wasn't good enough to keep him around for another campaign.

Berry was recently released, according to the transactions log on his official roster page. The transaction occurred on Dec. 16, though it was not reflected on the log until at several days later.

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Release coincides with Red Sox beefing up catching depth

Building up minor-league catching depth seems to have been a major focus for the Red Sox this offseason, as the club has acquired minor-leaguers Ronny Hernandez, Luke Heyman, Adonys Guzman, and Raudelis Martinez through trades, free agency, and the Rule 5 Draft.

However, there can only be so many catchers on a minor-league roster, and at the High-A level (recently christened the Salem RidgeYaks), the Red Sox will likely be overcrowded with some of the new arrivals.

Berry, who went 9-for-24 in his brief stint as a Red Sox farmhand, was likely more of a numbers casualty than someone who was cut loose due to falling short of expectations. The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder barely got an opportunity to play while he was in the organization to begin with.

In college, Berry excelled for two years at NAIA Milligan University before transferring to Michigan State, where he put up an .842 OPS in 45 games. He'll be on the hunt for a new organization that gives him the chance to play more than once a week, and at age 24, he's got a lot of levels to jump before a potential major league debut.

The Red Sox will wish Berry well after giving him his first shot as a professional, but their new influx of catching depth came at his expense.

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