Red Sox Release Grady Sizemore

TODAY: Boston has given Sizemore his release, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (via Twitter).

YESTERDAY: The Red Sox have designated outfielder Grady Sizemore for assignment, reports Alex Speier of WEEI.com (via Twitter). Third baseman Garin Cecchini will take his spot on the active roster.

Sizemore’s remarkable comeback story captured plenty of attention around the game. Once among baseball’s brightest talents, he had not played since 2011 due to a series of injuries. Sizemore defied the odds, breaking camp with Boston and showing flashes suggesting that he could return to a very high level of play.

The 31-year-old has not managed to maintain his early show of promise, however, and currently owns a .216/.288/.324 line (with two home runs and five stolen bases) through 205 plate appearances. UZR and DRS were both down on his work in center field, though saw him as a much more effective option in left. In the aggregate, Sizemore was worth a disappointing -0.4 fWAR. At the height of his powers, in the mid-2000s, he was putting up six or more wins above replacement on an annual basis.

Ultimately, Sizemore will earn a total of $1.25MM for his time with the Red Sox, tweets Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. Under the incentive provisions of his deal, Sizemore could have earned up to $6MM, but he reached only his first active roster milestone and fell 20 plate appearances shy of triggering his first plate appearance bonus.

Meanwhile, this is the second time up this year for Cecchini. He seems somewhat unlikely to have a permanent home on the active roster, with the Sox having inked Stephen Drew to play short and shifted Xander Bogaerts to third.