The Red Sox have informed reporters, including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, that they have designated right-hander Zack Littell for assignment. His roster spot will go to left-hander James Paxton, who has been reinstated and is set to start Friday’s game.
It’s a very quick turnaround for Littell, 27, who was with the Rangers on a minor league deal until the Red Sox traded for him last week, sending cash considerations the other way and adding Littell to their roster. He made two appearances for the Sox since then, allowing three earned runs in three innings with three hits, three walks and a couple of strikeouts. He now loses his roster spot just a few days after getting it. Since he’s out of options, this was the only way to quickly get his spot open for Paxton.
Prior to that shaky showing with Boston, he had been getting solid results in the minors. In 12 innings with the Round Rock Express, he had a 2.25 ERA with a 33.3% strikeout rate, 4.2% walk rate and 41.4% ground ball rate. He has 172 2/3 innings of major league experience dating back to 2018 with a 4.17 ERA in that time, striking out 20.8% of opponents while walking 8.6% and getting grounders at a 42.6% clip.
The Sox will now have one week to trade Littell or pass him through waivers. He has a previous career outright and could therefore reject another such assignment in favor of free agency in the event that he clears waivers.
As for Paxton, he will be appearing in a major league game for the first time in over two years. He underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2021 while with the Mariners, then signed a complicated deal with the Red Sox while rehabbing. He was working his way back to health last year when a lat tear scuttled those plans. The Sox then declined a two-year, $26MM option but the lefty triggered his $4MM player option. The injury parade continued in the spring, when he suffered a hamstring strain that’s kept him out of action until now.
His return will have repercussions for the club’s other pitchers since manager Alex Cora recently told reporters, including Rob Bradford of WEEI, that he doesn’t plan on using a six-man rotation going forward. For the moment, Paxton will slot into the mix alongside Chris Sale, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta, with Garrett Whitlock also expected to return from the IL in the near future. With seven options for five jobs, the Sox will have to pick a couple of them to either be moved to the bullpen or optioned to the minors, with those decisions seemingly still up in the air.
LOL SMH I assume Littell did not pass the audition.
Hit the road Zack
And don’t you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Ray Charles said it best…
Appreciate the attempt at humor but it makes no sense. The sox would probably love for him to come back if he clears waivers and accepts a minor league assignment.
In fact your comment means very Littell.
GaryWarrior
):+0
Yeah if you were going to pick a Warrior, shouldve gone with Ajax, Swan or Vermin.
Can’t go wrong with Cochise, Snow, or Fox just don’t do with Rembrandt…anyone but Rembrandt.
Paxton will get hurt opening the clubhouse door this afternoon and miss two weeks.
a month ago everyone was saying he wouldnt pitch at all this year. You guys arent batting very well this year.
Ok
DBatista – Are you trying to jinx him? hahaha
It’s called a SCHEDULED start for a reason. IT HASN’T HAPPENED!!!!
Thanks to your comment, now it’s a lock not to happen!!
Or is it because of his track record?
I would think youd still be hiding youre head from your March statement “This years offense is way, way worse than last years”. Good to see you have no shame.
DBatista – If you think this team is better without Bogey, JD and Vazquez and NATE THE GREAT you’re insane!!!
Also, 38 of 162 games have been played. Great sample size for your argument!! hahaha You really don’t understand simple statistics.
Scoring is up in baseball because the ball has been juiced yet again to bring in more fans and to compliment the juiced ball the rules have changed in hopes of scoring more runs so idiots who aren’t fans will come to games because it’s more like Football, Basketball and Hockey…… lots of action.
Do you ever know what you are talking about in your comments?
I’ve been making statements all season but I haven’t seen you show up until things are better than expected. Who really has been hiding? hahaha
So finish sticking out your tongue at me and then hide behind a tree again. You are so brave!!!! hahahaha
By even your own twisted logic, if the ball is juiced for one team it’s juiced for all. How does that explain the fact that the sox are 3rd in runs scored, 7th in HRs, 2nd in BA, second in RBIS and second in hits?
Further he suggested that you should go into hiding not that you’ve been hiding.
and be honest you were making statements in the off season too as pulled a bloom.
He still may not, DB…
Bronxmac77 – You talkin to me? Huh punk you talkin to me?
No Katie. Wouldn’t mess with you
):>O
Only 2 weeks? Has Paxton ever been on the IL for that short a period? The office pool for tomorrow and Friday will be – which inning of his Friday start will Paxton be lifted for “precautionary measures”, and on which date will he make his next appearance?
You are probably more right than me……this guy gets hurt opening his eyes in the morning.
role – If Paxton stays healthy, based on tonight’s performance he will have a very positive impact.
5 IP, 1 BB, 9 K and velo consistently in the upper 90’s. Very impressive for his first ML start in a very, very long time.
Impressive. Sure wasn’t expecting that.
role – Agreed, especially with the Cards lineup having some really good hitters in it.
I also wasn’t expecting Kenley to be so bad last night. He overthrew during his 400th save on Wednesday, I hope he didn’t re-injure his back or something else.
At least they still have Kaleb Ort.
Curse of the Kapler.
They had a spat on the mount and everyone knows Kapler is never wrong!!
He absolutely wasn’t wrong in that case. Even the pitcher himself said so.
Just gives Brasier a stay of execution for a few days. Bello pitches well tonight and he may stick with Pivetta moving to the bullpen once one of the others comes off the IL. He may not like it, but just seems to be where he’s is at this point in his career.
“Just gives Brasier a stay of execution for a few days.”
Yeah, I mean he’s 35 years old and has only been with the Red Sox since March 4, 2018. and has pitched in 220 games. He will be gone soon. Sure he will.
I wish I had the undeserved job security Ryan Brasier has
Mango – Brasier *almost* makes me wish we had Ryan Weber or Diekman instead.
I say that as right now Diekman (7.30 ERA) is pitching against Weber (27.00 ERA).
What would it hurt to trade Pivetta? He isn’t that good, but he ain’t bad, but the Red Sox have a bunch of guys who also aren’t that good but ain’t bad. that still have upside.
They could probably get a couple of fringy prospects for him,
Lol.
Lol.
LoL
With a 4.66 FIP hes been very lucky
What a great career with the sox
Literal fart in church.
If you mean the dumbed down version of literal I suppose.
I would rather have Houck, Bello, Whitlock, and even Crawford in the rotation over Pivetta. and they aren’t getting rid of Sale or Kluber.
Pivetta could get you something back. and he’s never going to be more than a decent 4-5 starter, while the younger dudes just might if you let them pitch.
Keeping Pivetta in the rotation over Houck, Whitlock or Bello is insanity.
Pivetta will get you nothing more than an A-ball 18 year old who most likely won’t ever sniff the majors
So you think his lack of value means the Red Sox should keep him in the rotation?
Nowhere in my comment was that said. I said he has no trade value. Reading is fundamental
I said trading Pivetta might get your fringy prospects.
Then you said the exact same thing.
Reading is fundamental.
@pedro
I am not sure any of us know what you’re trying to say.
Sycophant said trading Pivetta could get you fringy prospects. Then you said trading Pivetta could get you a fringy prospect like it was some sort of “Aha” moment.
Alright here’s the response: trading Nick Pivetta will not get you anything of use so you’re better off just keeping him and banking on a return to form. Better??
Mango – Excellent answer.
Alas. His FIP and BABIP slip, and now he’s a blip on the Bosox landscape.
I wonder how much travel money these fringe guys are alloted… I mean, this guy has been, what, a Texas Ranger, a Boston Red Sox, and an ex-Red Sox… All in the last 20 minutes.
Bronx – It was a forgone conclusion that he would be a quick DFA as the 26-man spot was needed for Paxton. Joely Rodriguez and Garrett Whitlock are not far behind.
The AAA Worcester have literally no one good enough to be called up as emergency depth. Littell was traded for in hopes that the Red Sox could slip him through to AAA without getting claimed. (MLB teams do this all the time, and sometimes guys ping pong to several teams that have open 40-man spots).
For those readers who are not familiar with the 40-man roster strategies, they do not understand the logic, but it was a cheap acquisition cost, and he is a better option than Ort.
Yeah I get all that. I was just wondering what if anything the player got for all these transactions. Travel money, per diem, etc. Minnesota just optioned a guy to AAA St. Paul. Their park is only 10 miles from where the Twins play!
Off-topic a littell (and if anyone doesn’t think that’s funny???), but imo, every transaction should reward a player with service time. Get promoted for one day, get 20 days service time. Get traded to be minor league depth, get 20 days service time. Beat the NYY, get 20 days service time.
The MLB minimum pay for one day on the MLB roster is approximately $4000, so even one day is rewarding. Two weeks is about $56,000 or about the average annual household income in the USA…..just for perspective
Zack Littell was acquired 5/5 and DFA on 5/10. He threw 3 innings and gave up 3 earn runs and made $20,000…..