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Red Sox Cut Ties With Lefty Pitcher Joe La Sorsa: What to Know

Joe La Sorsa's time in the organization was...
Jackson Roberts|
Mar 8, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; Italy pitcher Joe la Sorsa (75) pitches against Great Britain in the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; Italy pitcher Joe la Sorsa (75) pitches against Great Britain in the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Boston Red Sox

On Thursday, as the Boston Red Sox were preparing to shoot for their eighth win in a row, one member of the 40-man roster was cut loose.

Left-handed pitcher Joe La Sorsa, who the Red Sox acquired in a trade for cash considerations on June 4, was released by the organization, according to an official announcement. The 28-year-old southpaw made only one appearance in the majors in a Red Sox uniform.

The Red Sox dropped their 40-man roster down to 38 active players with the move. Those spots could go to players being activated from the 60-day injured list (like shortstop Trevor Story or pitcher Tanner Houck), or they could be used on waiver pickups.

What La Sorsa's release means moving forward

La Sorsa
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Joe La Sorsa throws a pitch in the seventh inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, June 7, 2025. The Reds won, 13-1. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The vast majority of La Sorsa's time in the Red Sox organization was spent with Triple-A Worcester, where he was optioned on June 8. In 6 1/3 innings for the Worcester Red Sox, the lefty did not allow a run, with five hits allowed and four strikeouts.

In his one game for the Red Sox in the majors, La Sorsa gave up a home run on the first pitch he threw to the New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. Two inherited runners also scored on that play, so La Sorsa's appearance turned a tight 3-1 game into a 6-1 blowout.

At the end of the day, this was a journeyman arm who came to the Red Sox at a time when pitching injuries were piling up. He's been let go by three other organizations since the end of the 2024 season -- the Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds in addition to the Pirates. And he sports a career 5.34 ERA in 57 1/23 major league innings.

La Sorsa has also pitched in each of the last two World Baseball Classics for Team Italy, including a memorable escape from a bases-loaded jam against the Netherlands during the final game of pool play in 2023.

So the Red Sox probably weren't sitting on a hidden gem here, but at the same time, it's hard to fault anything La Sorsa did while he was in the organization. At the end of the day, it's all a numbers game.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@moreviewsmedia.com

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