The Boston Red Sox designated outfielder Daniel Nava for assignment on Thursday, which likely brings his five year tenure with the organization to an end.
Jean Machi and Jonathan Aro have lockers in #RedSox' clubhouse. Daniel Nava does not. He has been DFAd
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) July 30, 2015
Nava has struggled this season in limited time, hitting only .152/.260/.182 in 29 games. The 32-year old had been sidelined for most of the season with a thumb injury and spent a brief 10 game stint in Pawtucket before he was recalled to the big league club earlier this month. He has appeared in only two games since then, going 0-for-3 at the plate with a walk and a strikeout.
Given his modest track record there will likely be a team that finds enough value in Nava to claim him on waivers. Nava has produced a career .357 OBP while proving to be a more than capable outfielder and first baseman. Not a bad return on investment for a guy that was signed for $1 in 2007. Nava has been a great story ever since his debut, but the Red Sox chapter of his career may be coming to a close.
Thumb injury hasn't helped Nava any either. You'd think plenty of teams would be interested in him but health may be a concern.
— Jason Mastrodonato (@JMastrodonato) July 30, 2015
Nava’s release clears room on the roster to add RHP Jean Machi, who was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants earlier this week. Boston’s surplus of outfielders and need for bullpen help ultimately made Nava an unfortunate roster casualty.
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The Red Sox have also optioned reliever Tommy Layne back to Pawtucket, replacing him on the roster with Jonathan Aro. The lefty Layne had posted a 3.51 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 33.1 innings for the Red Sox this season.
Aro has been torched for 6 runs in only 4.2 innings during his brief time in the majors, but has had moderate success out of the Pawtucket bullpen with a 3.03 ERA in 32.2 innings.
The right-handed Machi’s splits show he has been significantly more effective against lefties, holding them to a .120 average and .401 OPS this season. His addition may have led to Layne being optioned if the team felt they no longer needed to carry another lefty reliever.