The Boston Red Red Sox made some roster moves today ahead of their series with Toronto. One of those moves was designating Eduardo Nunez.
Boston is showing that they haven’t given up on this season and are willing to do what they feel is necessary to make a charge towards October. The Red Sox suffered a disappointing series loss to the Dodgers and are shaking things up with the trade deadline approaching. This afternoon it was announced that the team had designated veteran second baseman, Eduardo Nunez.
Nunez came to Boston through a trade with the Giants in the summer of 2017. He would re-sign with the team during the winter of 2018 as a free agent. He would spend much of the following season at third base until his spot was usurped by Rafael Devers. Since then he’s floated between third and second while also coming off the bench.
With the uncertainty of Dustin Pedroia‘s knee, Nunie was slated to be in the rotation at second base. In April, rookie phenom Michael Chavis was promoted to the Red Sox to play second base. Chavis would take off like a rocket and effectively knock Nunez out of the running for an everyday spot.
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Nunie has a very mixed reputation with Red Sox Nation. As a player, there were many a time where we’d scratch our heads wondering what he was thinking. Usually when it came to running the base paths. But there would also be moments of brilliance whether it be diving into the stands or smashing a pinch-hit homer in the World Series. His big energy could also be seen radiating through the team.
When speaking on the move today Alex Cora spoke highly of Eduardo’s time in Boston.
"“He’s a smart baseball player. He helped most of the guys over there, especially Xander [Bogaerts] and Raffy [Devers]. That’s part of the business,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “It’s a tough one, because he’s very likable, he meant a lot to the clubhouse and to the team, but that’s part of this. You make tough decisions and you have to move on.”"
Now that the DFA tag has been placed on Nunez he’ll be removed from the roster and the clock will begin. There will be a 7-day period where the Red Sox will have to either trade, release, or place Nunez on outright waivers. This season just wasn’t in the stars for Nunez as he couldn’t get things to click at the plate and his defense just wasn’t there. With guys like Chavis, Devers, Brock Holt, and Marco Hernandez all contributing there just wasn’t a spot for Nunez at the end of the day.
The Red Sox have a surplus of infielders at the moment and unfortunately, it was Eduardo that was the odd man out. This is a proactive move by Boston as Nunez would be a free agent after his season anyway. This will give them a chance to open a roster spot for a possible call-up from the minors as the season progresses.
Eduardo Nunez may have only been in Boston for a few short years but his time will be remembered by those who watched him play. He was a big player in the machine that was the 2018 World Series Red Sox. I not only want to thank Eduardo for everything he did while in a Red Sox uniform but wish him the best in the rest of his career.