The Red Sox appear to be in 2023 mode.
Boston on Saturday announced it designated Kevin Plawecki for assignment. To replace him on the roster, the Red Sox added pitcher Frank German to the 40-man.
German was acquired by the Red Sox from the New York Yankees as part of the Adam Ottavino trade in 2021. The right-hander has dazzled in Triple-A Worcester this season, posting a 2.58 ERA, 0.94 WHIP while holding opponents to a 1.54 average through 38 1/3 innings pitched. His fastball constantly reaches high-90's and German only has seemed to improve with each outing.
While many pitchers will miss Plawecki behind the plate, his free agency eligibility at the end of this season coupled with his struggles at the plate made the most sense for the Red Sox to move on from prior to the end of the season. Plawecki batted .217 with one home run in 61 games.
His contributions went beyond the plate, though, as Plawecki was responsible for creating the home run cart celebration along with Jason Varitek, as well as having a hand in making Calum Scott and Tiesto's version of "Dancing On My Own" the unofficial song of the 2021 Red Sox's postseason run.
But with Reese McGuire fitting in seamlessly since the trade deadline and Connor Wong emerging as a strong catcher, it made sense to move on from Plawecki and prepare for the future.
The Red Sox return to action Saturday as they look to win the series against the Kansas City Royals. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 4:10 p.m. ET and you can catch all the action beginning at 3 p.m. on NESN.
