Can Boston afford another bullpen shuffle? The Red Sox have designated reliever Zack Kelly for assignment, MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reports. Boston also moved left‑hander Eduardo Rivera to the same status, trimming the roster to 40.
Kelly logged parts of five seasons in Fenway, posting a 4.04 ERA over 131 1/3 innings. This year he surrendered eight runs in 16 innings, fanning 14 and issuing seven walks. His Triple‑A strikeout‑walk ratio was similarly modest, and an elbow fracture in early July sidelined him. I think his inconsistent peripherals made him a marginal option.
With options exhausted, the Sox must act within five days, either trading Kelly or exposing him to waivers. The clock is ticking. If he clears waivers, he can choose minor‑league free agency, likely ending his Boston chapter. Will his next destination offer the role he never quite secured here?