The Red Sox have claimed infielder Yu Chang off waivers from the Rays, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Chang had been designated for assignment last week. In a corresponding move, outfielder Jaylin Davis has been designated for assignment by Boston.
Chang, 28, has been a fixture of transaction logs this year, now joining his fourth organization of the season. He began the year with the Guardians but was designated for assignment in late May. He got traded to the Pirates for cash considerations but was designated for assignment again after a month in Pittsburgh. The Rays claimed him off waives from the Bucs and have kept him around for the past two months.
Chang was a fairly well regarded prospect but hasn’t yet had strong results in the major leagues. Since he is out of options and can’t be sent to the minors, he’s been continually nudged off rosters all year, with some other club always stepping up to give him another shot. His overall batting line this year is .216/.280/.324 for a wRC+ of 77. He has been better in recent months with the Rays, however, hitting .260/.305/.385 for a wRC+ of 101. Whether Chang’s bat has turned a corner or not, he will at least provide defensive versatility, having spent some time at each of the four infield positions this year.
The Red Sox are 69-72 on the year, leaving them 10 games out of a playoff spot with just over three weeks remaining on the schedule. With their hopes of competing effectively dashed at this point, they can use their remaining games to evaluate players prior to the winter, with Chang now entering the mix. The club’s current infield picture includes Xander Bogaerts, Trevor Story, Rafael Devers, Triston Casas and Christian Arroyo, with Bogaerts expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this winter. The Sox make sense as a fit for a free agent shortstop to replace Bogaerts, though if they don’t succeed in signing one, they could also slide Story over and make Arroyo the everyday second baseman. That would give Chang a path to a job as a utility/bench infielder.
As for Davis, 28, the Red Sox claimed him from the Giants in April but passed him through waivers a couple weeks later. He was selected back to the roster in July. He has a great batting line in the majors though in a tiny sample of just 27 plate appearances. He’s hit .333/.407/.375 in the bigs this year despite striking out 40.7% of the time. He’s hit just .198/.315/.318 for Triple-A Worcester while going down on strikes in in 30.8% of his 305 plate appearances. Since the trade deadline has passed, the Sox will have no choice but to put him on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days. Since Davis was previously outrighted, he’d have the ability to reject an assignment and elect free agency in the event he clears waivers again.
Please tell me this isn’t Bloom’s idea of keeping his promise to Keke…
No, normal roster churn.
The Enrique Hernandez promise will be fulfilled by re-signing Bogaerts and Wacha along with a righr fielder and a starting pitcher from free agency.
Bogaerts is as good as gone. The other 3 — Wacha, RF, another SP will happen. Also, add Extend Devers.
At least, thats what I think.
Dream on bogarts ain’t coming back bloom can’t help but fill the roster up with trash and still no bullpen help
There’s that asinine defensive versatility catch phrase again. Yeah he’s so valuable because he’s played more than one position.
U forgot he bats a stellar .200
With 40 man roster moves coming after the season, the roster will evolve between November and March , especially as they add back their own or sign new free agents. Let’s see who’s still on the merry-go-round then.
Never thought I see a day where the Sox beg a career .240 hitter to stay and promise to be better next year
Who wants a clutch Post Season performer who plays a very good defense in Centerfield. That stuff is overrated.
Because everyone knows Batting Average is the only thing you look at when evaluating a ballplayer. He’s a .240 career batter for god sakes! Thats .004 below this year’s league average. My god, how is he still in the league?
Didn’t say I didn’t want him read it again smart one the Sox had to promise a career .240 just so he would stay. Sad. Whatever hope whenever u run a team it will be filled with kike bench players see how far u get. If he’s sooo good why the dodgers didn’t want him anymore. His glove is good but so isn’t Jackie is he worth $10 million??
Ya u don’t beg career .240 hitters to stay and that is what I said career man your so smart
kmk1986
Never thought I see a day where the Sox beg a career .240 hitter to stay and promise to be better next year
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No one is begging. Every team in BB says they will be better next year. Contracts are generally signed on the basis of salary.
And judging a guy solely on the basis of average is pretty weak. He is about a league-average hitter with a top-tier glove.
Avg is part of an argument when u base salary yea avg is soo weak
And once again Jackie is top tier glove is he $10 pretty weak argument to evaluate a guy top tier glove
Would you rather have Chang and Davis or just Michael Chavis?
Never should have traded Chavis
Michael Chavis, Really? 114 SOs in 368 ABs, .268 OBP, -.3 WAR,
-5 OutsAboveAverage. That Chavis?
Bet he would thrive with the dodgers
It’s amazing how many Red Sox fans think Chavis has actually been playing well. .672 OPS,
Chavis
Sometimes Yu jus gotta make a Chang-e
im guessing Story maybe got hurt…
Bet you’re right. Same Old Story, Same Old Song and Dance, with my friends.
He’s 26 not 28.
He’s 27 not 26.
and suddely I have “Chicago” running through my head…,…”does anybody really know what time it is…..does anybody really care……….”
He’s 25 not 26
Davis is better than Yaz
I saw Yu, Chang in the Arizona Fall League, thought he was good, he falls into the Vidal Brujan, Josh Lowe, Jerrod Kelenic, Christian Pache group of couldn’t hit big league pitching
Well that’s the opposite of good u r a good scout
Back when the Bucs released him and the Rays picked him up, people were saying that they wondered what the Pirates missed because the must have missed something because the Rays took him. Same thing that everyone saw in Tsutsugo…….absolutely nothing……. Now I have a combination of the Temptations, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan all running though my head and I did it to myself this time…………
Another Bloom Bum
I remember all the crying on this board when the Sox claimed Christian Arroyo off waivers…. still crying now… very serviceable player.
With that said, not a fan of this particular claim, but in the scheme of things, does it really matter?
Good point Cooper. Im still getting a kick about all the negativity regarding Wacha. Even in August, Wacha was “pitching on the San Andreas Fault Line”. That, the ‘peripherals’ were indicating he was a bad pitcher. And only the analytics fans could see the downfall coming. I do believe in advanced stats, but they need to be taken in a bigger picture.
Im still getting a kick about all the negativity regarding Wacha.
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There are probably maybe 5-10 RS fans in here that simply hate every move. There is really no thought process to it.
I mean I guess he ain’t no difference maker Red Sox nation wouldn’t be screaming if arroyo didn’t come back
Would like to see Jaylin get a shot somewhere, anywhere….
Another bullseye for Chaim Bloom. I honestly hope he does not feel that this guy is going to make the Red Sox better next season. This upcoming fall is going to be a make or break for Bloom. If I was the owner after this debacle this year I would fire Bloom. None of our rookies that he sold management on have overwhelmed this season. He kept Dalbac around until about two weeks ago. Dalbac should have been sent down to Triple AAA Worcester in May. I don’t have any confidence in this guy and I have a bad feeling Boggarts is going to leave and really peeve off the fans.
You say the same thing when Arroyo was claimed off waivers. Hows that one working out?
U r dumb guy if u think yu Chang is gonna hit like arroyo who also the rays moved on from Man U really do like low tier players
What is that about 1 out of 10 pickups. What a track record with picking up dumpster throw aways.
AL34
What is that about 1 out of 10 pickups.
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The cost is virtually -0-. If you want to give me a box of lottery tickets for $0, I’ll be happy hitting on 1-10.
And guys that Bloom picked up for -0-:
Arroyo
Refsnyder
Schreiber
Whitlock
Boargarts devers and Betts all should of stayed! I bet teams like the dodgers Yankees or even angels would of found a way to get these guys to stay it’s a disgrace generation lol talent gone for nothing
Arent the Yankees getting ready for Judge to walk? Are you not very knowledgeable or just a trull?
Wow judge good example troll and he’s got a chance to come back troll
Using the Angels for an example to prove your point is pretty comical.
Ya sooo comical when they do everything they can to keep their superstars super comical guy pretty easy to laugh now but they aren’t nickel and diming like the Sox. It hasn’t worked out but they try.
I bet teams like the dodgers Yankees or even angels would of found a way to get these guys to stay
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Yup, there is no chance that the Dodgers will allow Seager or Scherzer to walk. Right? No chance the Yankees allow Cano to walk, right?
@AL34### I’d be willing to wager that Bloom’s leash is a bit longer. With all the players they’re going to need to add just to field a team will be considerable. He’s got to re-set the CBT this year. Spending may not approach the 233M ceiling. He will continue to build the farm, and perhaps 2024 is the make or break. Either way, a reckoning is awaiting him in the not too distant future. some of his moves have been head scratchers for sure.