The Red Sox released Marlon Byrd, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reports (on Twitter). The team had designated the ACES client for assignment earlier this month to clear a roster spot for Daisuke Matsuzaka.
The Red Sox acquired Byrd from the Cubs for Michael Bowden and Hunter Cervenka in April, but the outfielder hit just .273/.288/.333 in 105 plate appearances in Boston. Byrd, 34, is now a free agent and can sign with any team for a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.
Somebody will pick him up. Still some positive value in his glove as a 4th OFer.
I don’t know, he was already only owed the prorated minimum, and the Sox couldn’t find anyone to take him – that’s why they had to outright release him.
Maybe nobody wanted to trade a prospect.
Every team has org guys and minor league filler they give up in those circumstances. If a team wasn’t willing to give up something like that, that tells you all you need to know about Byrd’s value.
My guess is it’s more about him not having options. Some team may have been willing to take on the money (only ~$200k) and give up a filler guy for him, but didn’t want him on the major league roster. Now that he’s been released and is a free agent someone can sign him to a minor league contract and have him as depth.
Ditto.. 3xbh in 100PA, 2BB, played defense as poorly as McDonald. It’s not like they got him to really hit a bunch, but to play a fair defense and hit some and at least show some patience at the plate.
Sad indeed when you get released before Darnell McDonald.
Edit:
Forgot to add this..
Remember all the Cub fans who were up in arms over Boston not sending anyone of value for this dude? Boston keeping mcDonald over him should explain that and also many other reasons why teams are not looking at anyone currently wearing Cubby Blue, other than Garza and perhaps some NL team Dempster.
Why give up anything for a guy that will be released?
Waste of anything to get a guy you can already pick up. O’s should get him. Better then Chavez
To ensure that you actually get him. Now that he’s released anyone can sign him, if you worked out a trade for an org filler guy you would be certain to get him, and nobody cares about the 30 year old career minor leaguer in AA you gave up to get him.
Good luck Marlon, Thanks for the help for a few weeks!
Reds go get him! He’s a better bench bat than they have now!
I agree bring him on board!
Totally Agree
Giants should get him as 4th OF/Bat off the bench. Nate has dropped off the planet this year.
Prediction: he signs a minor league deal with the Sox within a week (he wanted to see his options out on the market rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A and if/when he sees he has no such options, he’ll think about it again and given their situation he could get back in the bigs quickly with the way their outfielders keep dropping like flies.
Doubt it. Why re-sign w/ the Sox when he’ll just get DFA’d again next month? Ross is about to return, CC will be back next month & Ells shortly after that.
Phillies should be all over this to replace Mayberry.
I didn’t realize till this weekend that Byrd was traded for Endy Chavez back in 2005.
If I am the Orioles, I would do that again well sort of, release Chavez in favor of Byrd!
yankees should look at him since they may have lost gardner for the year. and lbanez and jones are just not cutting it in the field. who am i kidding, just bring up a kid. lol
Phillies will take ibanez back frome 1mi a year
Shoulda been Darnell McDonald.
just hit .273 ?? That sounds good to me.
Especially since his average before coming over was in the .100’s…
It was worse than that. His average I believe was .073 when he left the Cubs.
It’s more the .288/.333 part that warrants the “just”
Most likely the Phillies will get him. They are taking anything they can get.
Considering the fate of Byrd and Bowden, is it safe to say that trade amounted to Cherington and Hoyer both trying to reenact Mitch Hedberg’s routine about people passing out flyers?
I still think the Cubs did better just because they have organizational depth with Bowden.
People claiming him a defensive outfielder must not watch the games I did. He takes the weirdest routes to the ball and made just as many terrible plays as great plays.
His 1 st game as recall made a huge blunder in CF and a ball sailed over his head for extra bases.. The 1st of many defensive miscues from his supposed plus defensive abilities.
Looks like somebody left the cage door open…and Byrd flew the coop.
I can see the Nats possibly signing him to play CF. They were rumored to be interested in trading for him in the off-season.
Darnell McDonald must be the son of one of the execs or something. He’s hit .220/.298/.390 the last two seasons for the Sox, and yet he’s still on our roster. He’s got a .182 AVG in 79 PA this year for crying out loud!
Got Nats written all over it.
Eh, I don’t know about that. The OF they have now is Lombo, Harper, Morse, Bernadina, Moore, Ankiel, and Nady, plus Werth when he gets healthy and Brown as a possible call-up. I don’t think they’d waste the money before pursuing internal options.
another waste of money