When the offseason begins, several Boston Red Sox players will depart in free agency.
Some will be missed, others can’t get going fast enough.
Unfortunately, a few of the players fans are itching to see leave are probably sticking around. They could be non-tendered or traded, but as of yet, they’re on the 2023 roster.
Here are three players under contract or club control that have overstayed their welcome in Red Sox Nation:
Ryan Brasier
Ryan Brasier is having the worst season of his career by far.
Over 60 appearances, he has a 6.05 ERA and 1.382 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting a combined .292/.325/.498 against him.
Really, Brasier’s best year in Boston was his first. In 2018, he came out of nowhere and posted a 1.60 ERA over 34 appearances. Across the following two seasons, a 4.57 ERA over 87 games made him hard to watch, and then he only threw 12 innings in 2021.
He must have some great blackmail material to hold over the front office, because there’s no other explanation for his continued presence on the roster.
Aside from club control, anyway.
But at a certain point, prioritizing and valuing club control above all else can flip the script; rather than controlling their players, the club is controlled by a need for control. In Brasier’s case, the Sox have no other legitimate reason to keep him, and yet they cannot bring themselves to relinquish an affordable, controlled player.
Brasier is entering his final year of arbitration, and with his poor performance this year, the Sox could easily prove that he’s earned a pay cut, rather than a raise. But much like the duality of club control, no matter how affordable his salary is, it’s actually quite expensive; he’s already cost them a roster spot and winnable games for months.
If the front office is serious about building a better team next year, Brasier won’t be on it. Enough is enough.