The Red Sox announced Thursday that right-hander Silvino Bracho has been designated for assignment and that infielder Yolmer Sanchez, who’d been up as a Covid-related substitute, has been returned to Triple-A Worcester. The pair of moves opens roster space for righty Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarren Duran to be reinstated from the restricted list. Both missed the Sox’ three-game series in Toronto due to vaccination status and travel restrictions.
Bracho, 30 next month, didn’t appear in a game with the Sox after having his contract selected to the roster. He’s spent the entire season so far in Worcester, where he’s pitched to a 3.16 ERA with an outstanding 36-to-4 K/BB ratio (29.3 K%, 3.3 BB%) in 31 1/3 innings of work. Had he gotten into a game during this Sox stint, it would’ve marked his first MLB action since 2020 and just his second MLB appearance since back in 2018.
Signed to a minor league deal in early March, Bracho has appeared in parts of five Major League seasons, all coming as a member of the Diamondbacks. He turned in impressive results both in 2015 and 2018, and he has at times missed bats at above-average rates. However, Bracho has been quite homer-prone throughout his big league tenure (1.71 HR/9) and hasn’t consistently racked up strikeouts or limited walks effectively enough to offset the damage from those round-trippers. In 89 2/3 Major League frames, he carries a 4.82 ERA.
The Sox will have a week to trade Bracho or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. Lack of track record and a pedestrian fastball typically combine to limit interest in journeymen of this mold, but Bracho’s 2022 showing in Worcester is impressive enough that another club might have interest in placing a speculative claim or swinging a minor trade. If he does pass through waivers unclaimed, he’ll have the ability to reject the assignment in favor of free agency (both by virtue of having three-plus years of MLB service and having been previously outrighted in the past).
He may pass through waivers but I don’t understand the logic of bringing up as an emergency when someone else could have been brought up who had an option left.
I don’t think he’ll make it through waivers given the bullpen market.
Tanner Houck has no business being a closer if his availability is conditional. Make Schreiber the closer
Cora said that the vaccination status will change by the next Toronto visit. Hopefully that’s true.
Please you are talking like 9 games out of 162. Yeah, it did cost us a win and the series but this is still America and this is not the Kyrie Irving situation either. Canada should be able to force Vax, they pay for your healthcare. That’s a different situation than in the US where you pay.
More mind-bending bullpen decisions from the front office.
Why? Any explanation? Any data analysis? Anything?
Maybe the Blue jays will claim him. If he has a pulse, we can use him!
Here for the mafia jokes
He DEFINITELY has a Sopranos-esque name.
I like his terrorist beard