Why Did Red Sox DFA Franchy Cordero? Alex Cora Explains

The Red Sox made a roster move Friday ahead of their American League Championship Series Game 6 against the Astros.

Boston announced it designated Franchy Cordero for assignment and activated Phillips Valdez from the COVID-19 related injury list. The move kind of came out of nowhere and was a bit random given the fact neither Cordero nor Valdez were on the ALCS roster.

Valdez was on the COVID IL since Sept. 12 and he filled the final spot on the 40-man roster once Cordero was DFAd.

So, why the sudden move? And why DFA the only current major league piece in the Andrew Benintendi trade?

“Good kid, good talent,” Cora told reporters, via MassLive. “Excellent athlete. He just needs to play. He needed to play. The more he plays, the better he’s going to be. Throughout his career, injuries have played a part of slowing down his development.”

Cordero struggled to find a groove with the Red Sox, but was successful during his time with Triple-A Worcester. He batted .300 with 13 home runs.

It’s unclear if Cordero will clear waivers, but if gets claimed he will be on his fourth team since 2020.

“You see the talent. It’s just a matter of making some adjustments offensively,” Cora said. “Recognize who you want to be and not please everybody. We had that conversation at one point during the season. Everybody talks about the strikeouts. He’s got the power, so there has to be a balance. I think, defensively, he did a good job in both corners. He learned first base and did an amazing job. We’ll see what the future holds.”

The Red Sox also will see what their future holds after a Game 6 ALCS loss put them into the offseason. They’ll have some decisions to make regarding a handful of free agents, including Eduardo Rodriguez and Kyle Schwarber.