Alex Cora Offers Response After Red Sox DFA Ryan Brasier

The Boston Red Sox on Monday officially elected to part ways with relief pitcher Ryan Brasier, putting an end to a six-year run.

Brasier was called upon to enter Boston’s series finale with the St. Louis Cardinals, but continued to struggle on the mound. He allowed three earned runs off four hits, including a towering 396-foot home run to Nolan Arenado in Boston’s 9-1 loss at Fenway Park. It raised his previous 6.75 ERA to a 7.29 ERA.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora addressed the team’s move to designate Brasier for assignment before opening up a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.

“He struggled and we stayed all the way with him to the end,” Cora told reporters, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. “It didn’t work out but the kid is Class-A. … Nobody knew about this kid (in 2018).”

Brasier joined the Red Sox back in 2018 when the team signed him to a minor league contract. That season, which ended a five-year hiatus from Major League Baseball, Braiser was huge in Boston’s bullpen. He recorded a 1.60 ERA through 34 appearances in the regular season, then continued to showcase his reliability in October.

Most memorable, Braiser struck out former New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez after barking at him to step back into the batter’s box during the American League Division Series. That was Boston’s first step to its World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Braiser finished his run in Boston with a 4.55 ERA and he pitched in 222 games with the Red Sox.