Justin Germano Designated for Assignment by Red Sox, Could Be Possible Trade Chip

The arrival of Jacoby Ellsbury signaled the end for Justin Germano.

Before Friday's game against the Rays, the Red Sox announced that Germano had been designated for assignment. The move was made to clear up a roster spot on Boston's 40-man roster.

In his lone game for the Red Sox, Germano dazzled out of the bullpen, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees. With seven strikeouts in the outing, he became the first Red Sox reliever to fan at least seven batters since Casey Fossum achieved the feat on July 24, 2002.

But Germano's recent exploits should garner trade interest. The 29-year-old showed glimpses of pitching potential in Triple-A, posting a 9-4 record with a 2.40 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) for the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Had the Red Sox declined to promote Germano by the July 1st deadline — a clause in his contract — he would've escaped as a free agent. Now, Boston has an opportunity to package Germano and other assets in a possible deal.

For now, the Red Sox only have 11 active pitchers on the roster, the lowest total of the season. That should change on Saturday, when the team activates Clay Buchholz from the disabled list.

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