It was already well known the Boston Red Sox agreed to a deal with free agent third baseman Justin Turner.
But the Red Sox made the signing official Friday and made a corresponding roster move. To make room for the veteran infielder on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated reliever Darwinzon Hernandez for assignment.
The 26-year-old left-handed pitcher, who signed an amateur free agent deal with the Red Sox in 2013, struggled over the course of four seasons in Boston. He never became a mainstay in the bullpen as he shuttled back and forth between the Red Sox and Triple-A.
Hernandez made 91 appearances with the Red Sox from 2019-2022, in which he posted a bloated 5.06 ERA and a 1.734 WHIP. While Hernandez struck out 133 batters in 85 1/3 innings pitched, he had issues with his command as he walked 73 batters.
The Venezuela native made a career-high 48 appearances in 2021 but rarely saw time on the mound with the big league club this past season. Hernandez made just seven appearances in 2022 as he let up 16 earned runs in 6 2/3 inning pitched.
With Boston bolstering its bullpen this offseason by adding Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Joely RodrÃguez, there really wasn’t a need anymore to keep Hernandez around.
By designating Hernandez for assignment, Boston now has a seven-day window to either trade Hernandez or place him on irrevocable outright waivers.
