The Red Sox have released lefty Brian Johnson, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com (via Twitter). He did not have a place on the team’s 40-man roster but was in the 60-man player pool.
Johnson, 29, was a useful swingman for the Boston club back in 2018. He threw 99 1/3 frames that year, working to a 4.17 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. Things turned south last year, however, as Johnson saw his walk rate (5.1 BB/9) and ERA (6.02) skyrocket.
It sounds as if the decision was driven by Johnson himself. Though the organization has been scrambling a bit for innings, he hasn’t drawn another chance. It seems the southpaw will now go out looking for a new opportunity with another organization.