The Boston Red Sox on August 11 did some shuffling to their 40-man roster to accommodate new bullpen options.
Boston designated reliever Nick Burdi for assignment in the late morning. Burdi broke the news himself in a tweet, and Chris Cotillo of MassLive quickly confirmed the report. Cotillo also reported that the Red Sox have summoned reliever Jovani Morán to the big leagues. They'll need to clear an active roster spot for him.
Burdi signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox before the 2025 season, after a short stint with the Yankees the previous year. The righty spent most of his season in Triple-A, but didn't pitch in a game from June 15 to August 1, as he was sidelined with a foot contusion. He logged a 1.88 ERA with 32 strikeouts and 10 walks in 24 innings with the WooSox, and looked to be a rock-solid depth option the Red Sox could call up in September.
Burdi also posted 5.1 scoreless innings in the big leagues this year. He could be an easy pickup for a contending team in need of bullpen help down the stretch, of which there are plenty.
Red Sox designate Nick Burdi for assignment, call up Jovani Morán
.@RicciardiJP wants everyone to keep an eye on Jovani Morán!
— NESN (@NESN) August 8, 2025
Full Show of 310 To Left: https://t.co/4VgNWdzI2Q pic.twitter.com/4Bg0dw2Y75
Morán will replace Burdi on Boston's 40-man roster. The Red Sox received him as their return in the Mickey Gasper trade on December 24, and he has yet to appear in the big leagues as he's been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Morán has posted a 3.44 ERA with 26 strikeouts and three walks over 18.1 innings with the WooSox. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2023, but he's shown flashes of greatness at the highest level. In 2022, he logged a 2.21 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with 54 strikeouts and 18 walks in 40.2 innings. He collected a save on his only opportunity.
The Red Sox may swap Chris Murphy for Morán on the active roster. Morán is yet another lefty addition to the Sox's 'pen and Murphy struggled against the Padres. On August 8, he walked four consecutive batters and allowed two runs on just one hit in a third of an inning.