The Boston Red Sox activated nine players from the 60-day injured list on the November 6 deadline: Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins, Patrick Sandoval, Tanner Houck, Josh Winckowski, Vaughn Grissom, Triston Casas, Marcelo Mayer and Luis Guerrero. Those activations brought Boston's 40-man roster up to 41 players, which doesn't fly.
The Red Sox designated Guerrero for assignment to bring the roster back to the right number, first reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Boston selected Guerrero in the 17th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, and he was once a top prospect in the organization. He was born in the Dominican Republic, but spent part of his childhood in the Boston area.
The righty made his major league debut in 2024 and immediately thrived. He didn't allow a run over 10 innings across nine appearances out of the bullpen. He fanned nine batters and walked two, with a 0.80 WHIP.
He didn't have the same level of success in 2025 (although the sample size of innings he pitched in the major leagues is small in both years). Guerrero clocked a 4.15 ERA with eight runs on nine hits over 17.1 innings. He collected 10 strikeouts, which were overshadowed by his 14 walks.
Red Sox designate former top pitching prospect Luis Guerrero for assignment amid wave of 60-day IL activations
The #RedSox today announced the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/GwB5W68nHj
— Red Sox (@RedSox) November 6, 2025
Guerrero is a curious choice to be DFA'd for these Red Sox roster moves. He's a homegrown player and a local guy with a blistering fastball that reaches the upper 90s on the radar gun. Josh Winckowski also could've been an option to be DFA'd, but he posted a better 2025 season than Guerrero, although it was brief. Winckowski clocked a 3.86 ERA over 11.2 innings with the Red Sox and a 2.21 ERA in 20.1 frames with the WooSox.
Guerrero joins Isaiah Campbell and José de León as the Red Sox players who have been DFA'd early this offseason to bring the roster down to 40 players. Boston will have to add to that total if it plans to protect any players from the Rule 5 Draft and when it makes its first offseason additions.