BOSTON — Daniel Nava’s tenure with the Red Sox might have reached its end.
The Red Sox on Thursday designated the 32-year-old outfielder for assignment after three consecutive subpar outings by Boston’s starting pitchers created a need for bullpen arms.
Reliever Tommy Layne also was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, as right-handers Jean Machi and Jonathan Aro were added to the Red Sox’s 25-man roster.
“We needed the space to get two fresh arms here,” manager John Farrell said before Thursday night’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park. “Unfortunately for Daniel, whose story in an incredible one, the path that he’s traveled. There were some extended periods of success for him here. But as opportunity diminished, and the production was inconsistent, the decision to designate him to make the move was made.”
Nava has been a part of the Red Sox organization since 2007, when Boston paid the Chico Outlaws of the independent Golden Baseball League $1 for his contract rights. He made his major league debut in 2010, hitting a grand slam in his first at-bat, and went on to be a valuable part of the Red Sox’s 2013 World Series championship team, posting a .303/.385/.445 slash line with 12 home runs and 66 RBIs in 134 games.
Injuries and inconsistency prevented Nava from replicating that production, however, and led him to bounce back and forth from Pawtucket several times over the past two seasons. He entered Thursday with a .152 batting average and had appeared in just two of Boston’s last nine games since returning from the disabled list July 21.
“I think there were a couple of things (that contributed to Nava’s decline),” Farrell said. “I thought the beginning of ’14, there was some fundamental differences that had him maybe with a little bit of an uphill path that, when he went down to Pawtucket, he was able to correct and came back last year, and he had a solid second half of the year for us. Then, this year I thought he maintained some of those fundamental changes, but yet the production wasn’t there. And then as a result, the opportunities started to diminish. There’s no question that the thumb injury had an effect on his ability to repeat his swing.
“So, those things combined just never really allowed him to stay on track and be the consistent hitter he was in 2013.”
Farrell added that Machi, whom the team claimed off waivers Tuesday from the San Francisco Giants, would be available to pitch Thursday.
“It’s been 10 days since he’s been in a game, so there’s a little bit of a challenge bringing him in here given our situation, where the need for innings is right away with his 10 days of inactivity,” Farrell said. “But he’s been going through a throwing program — not competitively, obviously — while designated, so we’ll see what he’s got available for us (Thursday).”
The Red Sox also announced that catcher Sandy Leon had been outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
