Red Sox update: A’s claim Alex Hassan off waivers

The Red Sox issues with 40-man roster space and their logjam in the outfield have both been ameliorated today as the Oakland Athletics have claimed outfielder and first baseman Alex Hassan off waivers.

The 26-year old Hassan first reached the Major Leagues in 2014, notching one hit and one walk in nine plate appearances, but has had a fairly successful minor league career in the Red Sox organization. In his third season at Triple-A Pawtucket this season, Hassan slashed .287/.378/.426 with 8 home runs and 55 RBIs in 114 games.

A right-handed bat who has been particularly successful against southpaws, Hassan has always had the potential to develop into a strong bat. Hassan has traditionally displayed excellent plate discipline and decent enough power, featuring a career .291/.396/.436 slash line, to expect that he could be a solid platoon player at the least.

However, there has never really been a space for him to showcase his talents in Boston. Even with the Red Sox’ outfield struggles in the early portion of this season, they never promoted him for an extended amount of time, and after the additions of Yoenis Cespedes and Rusney Castillo, there’s just no avenue for him to receive consistent playing time with the Red Sox.

Thus, he’s unlikely to be a major loss for the Red Sox even with the possibility that he’ll turn into a decent platoon player in Oakland or elsewhere. That being said, we wish Alex all the best as he continues to pursue his dream of Major League success even with that success unlikely to come in Boston.