Boston Red Sox begin salary saving 40-man roster exodus

The Boston Red Sox have began the offseason process of trimming their 40-man roster, in part to free up room in the budget.

The Boston Red Sox have their work cut out for them this offseason as they aim to cut payroll in an effort to dip under the $208 million luxury tax threshold. One of the necessary steps to achieve that goal is releasing expendable players to replace them with cheaper options and those efforts are already underway.

The first move was releasing knuckleball pitcher Steven Wright. This was no surprise given his performance over the last few years which has been marred by injuries and suspensions. The news that Wright will undergo Tommy John surgery cemented the decision. Boston wasn’t going to pay a pitcher in his final year of arbitration if he’s going to be sidelined for the entire 2020 season. Wright was projected for $1.5 million and those savings inch the Red Sox closer to the tax line.

The Red Sox followed that move by outrighting Gorkys Hernandez and Josh Smith off the 40-man roster. Both cleared waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Hernandez didn’t do much to impress in his brief stint with the Red Sox, hitting a meager .143 with a .463 OPS in 20 games. He’s a career .230 hitter without much pop in his bat so his upside is limited.

He’s projected to make $1 million in arbitration so it’s a bit surprising that the Red Sox didn’t release Hernandez. They still might, rather than pay him that much to sit in the minors, but the club apparently saw enough from him to at least warrant delaying that decision. He brings a solid glove and is capable of playing all three outfield positions. That versatility could be important to stash in the organization with two of the team’s starting outfielders heavily involved in trade rumors.

By removing him from the 40-man roster, Hernandez’s salary won’t count for luxury tax purposes if they do agree to a deal with him in arbitration.

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Outrighting Smith isn’t about saving money since he isn’t arbitration eligible yet. His roster spot will be taken by someone else making a similar near-minimum salary. Smith wasn’t a candidate to make the Opening Day roster anyway after posting a 5.81 ERA in 31 innings this season. This move was about saving the roster spot for a prospect with more upside.

The deadline to protect Rule 5 eligible players is approaching next month. Players with at least five years of professional experience, or four years if they signed after the age of 19, who aren’t on the 40-man roster are eligible to be selected in December’s Rule 5 draft.

According to MassLive’s Christopher Smith, Eduard Bazardo is expected to be added to the 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The right-hander had a dominant season, posting a 2.21 ERA and 10.8 K/9 in 73 1/3 innings of relief spread across stints in High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. He may be a couple years away from the big leagues but adding him to the 40-man roster ensures he won’t be poached by another team.

The moves the Red Sox made this week free up three spots on the 40-man roster. Bobby Dalbec and C.J. Chatham are both candidates to be added in order to protect them from the Rule 5 draft. They are both coming off strong seasons and could be knocking on the door of their major league debut at some point next season.

The Red Sox still have a long way to go to get under the tax but saving approximately $2.5 million by removing Wright and Hernandez from the roster is a start. Expect to see more players jettisoned from the roster in the near future.