Red Sox righty Vladimir Gutierrez went unclaimed on outright waivers and has accepted an assignment to Triple-A Worcester, reports Francys Romero. Boston designated him for assignment last week. Also sticking with the organization following a DFA is utilityman Pablo Reyes, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Like Gutierrez, he went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Worcester. Either player could’ve rejected the assignment in favor of free agency, but they’ll stick with the organization and no longer require 40-man spots.
Now 28 years old, Gutierrez was a high-profile signing out of Cuba back in 2016, when the Reds gave him a $4.75MM bonus and paid a 100% tax on top of that sum. He was one of Cincinnati’s top pitching prospects for a few years but wound up giving them just 150 2/3 innings of 5.44 ERA ball while posting strikeout and walk rates of 17.3% and 10.4%, respectively — both worse than the league average.
Despite those struggles, Gutierrez would surely have received a longer look with the Reds if not for injuries. A torn ulnar collateral ligament in 2022 led to Tommy John surgery. Gutierrez returned to the mound to toss a handful of minor league innings last September but didn’t get back to the big leagues. He was removed from Cincinnati’s 40-man roster and became a free agent following the season. After a few showcases for big league scouts, he signed a minor league deal with the Marlins. He’s since bounced from Miami, to Milwaukee, to Boston via waivers and will now stay put in Worcester for the time being.
The 30-year-old Reyes has been with the Sox since 2023 but hasn’t been able to follow up on a solid .287/.339/.377 slash he posted in 185 plate appearances last season. He hit just .183/.234/.217 in his first 64 trips to the plate this season while fanning at a 29.7% clip that’s nearly triple his 11.4% mark from the prior season.
Reyes has appeared in six straight big league seasons, but last year’s 185 plate appearances were the most he’s accrued in a single season. Overall, he’s taken 572 turns at the plate in the majors and produced a .248/.309/.349 batting line between the Pirates, Brewers and BoSox. The versatile Reyes has appeared at every position on the diamond except for catcher. His career numbers at third base are particularly solid, though he made a few costly errors there earlier this season.
Reyes will probably be back the first time they need a middle Infielder. Obviously going unclaimed didn’t make him feel to good about his chances in free agency
Hopefully we see instead should the need arise, someone with future potential. Last year’s bat was sadly the outlier.
I hope they give Romy Gonzalez a shot before Reyes. He is rehabbing at Worcester now.
Well considering Romy is still on the 40-man roster and Reyes isn’t any longer I think that’s pretty much a given.
All in – Agree 100%. Romy Gonzalez looks to be a better hitter, and he is already on the 40-man roster. He would be recalled to Boston before Pablo Reyes.
Abreu hit .127.
Same with him?
Why do they want to leave Cuba? Don’t they have great healthcare, schooling, politics, women’s rights, and low racism?
Same story could be coming to a country near you if things continue going down the toilet. Communism has failed (or failing) everywhere it’s been tried. Rubes eventually get tired of being slaves to self appointed masters.
Instead of making snarky political comments that don’t belong here, maybe ask yourself why American-born guys decide to go play in the KBO. That’s assuming you really don’t know why Cuban players want to play in MLB, of course.
Probably same reason normal people from commie countries dearly want (and always wanted) to escape, maybe just plain old earn a living in a normal society, rather than starve to death slowly in closed societies.
not hard to check these things out if want to. Russia, north korea, nam, laos, any eastern europe post ww2, china, cuba. Famine follows communism. They go hand in hand.
So, if there is such famine, why do they have amazing healthcare
Those countries have universally horrendous healthcare. Medical doctor training is thin. The elite Comandantes in places like Cuba do not go to the same clinics as the masses.
That Michael Moore movie where he purposefully selected the best hospitals to show us, instead of The run down ones, proves that they do have good everything. Doh!
I love how theres this whole argument about Cuba and communism when Reyes is from the Dominican Republic,
They’re referring to Gutierrez, putz
Being stoned doesn’t make me a putz bro.
I mean… it kinda did in this instance, didn’t it? :p
(insert game show fail music here)
Oh yeah, man that was so embarrassing. How will I ever live that down?
Well played, #Bosox Boonie.
$9.5M from the Reds? That’s like 20% of the cost of their active roster. lol
Yikes, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose with predictions of greatness from a young kid.
“Despite those struggles, Gutierrez would surely have received a longer look with the Reds if not for injuries”
Yes he would have, and stop calling me Shirley.
Reyes ability to play 2B/3B/SS/LF/CF is why he made the roster, any offense was only ever going to be a bonus.
“He’s since bounced from Miami, to Milwaukee, to Boston via waivers and will now stay put in Worcester for the time being.”
Pretty sure there shouldn’t be commas in that sentence.
So?