Red Sox Outright Stephen Gonsalves, Mike Shawaryn; R.J. Alvarez Released

The Red Sox announced Wednesday that recently designated-for-assignment hurlers Stephen Gonsalves and Mike Shawaryn were outrighted after clearing waivers. Gonsalves was assigned to the team’s alternate training site, meaning he’s still in the 60-man player pool and eligible to pitch for the Sox in 2020 if they select his contract to the 40-man roster. That’s not true of Shawaryn, who has been removed from the team’s player pool entirely. Boston has also released right-hander R.J. Alvarez, who had been pitching at the alternate training site.

Gonsalves, once a top prospect within the Twins organization, has bounced from the Twins to the Mets to the Sox since last season drew to a close. He sports a career 3.46 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and a less-palatable 4.9 BB/9 in 125 Triple-A frames, as well as a 2.35 ERA in 184 Double-A innings. Gonsalves has struggled greatly in limited MLB action, although he never got much of a look in Minnesota and didn’t pitch with the Mets’ big league club at all. Arm injuries have hampered him in recent years, and it’s perhaps somewhat telling that he went unclaimed on waivers. Still, the Sox see enough in him to keep him on hand as a depth option in the player pool.

That much can’t be said of the 26-year-old Shawaryn, who was one of the organization’s best-ranked pitching prospects for several years (albeit in a poorly regarded farm system). Last season saw Shawaryn pitch to a 4.52 ERA with a lackluster 76-to-49 K/BB ratio in 89 2/3 frames with Triple-A Pawtucket. He was crushed for 22 runs on 26 hits (five homers) and 13 walks with 29 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings in his first taste of the Majors. Prior to that, he’d put together a solid track record, averaging about eight strikeouts and two walks per nine innings pitched with a mid-3.00s ERA in his time in the upper minors.

Alvarez, 29, was hoping for his first trip to the big leagues since a 2015 run with the A’s, but it seems that won’t come with the Red Sox. He’s spent time with the Cubs, Rangers and Marlins organizations since his last Major League action, including some time as a closer with the Triple-A affiliates for Texas and Miami. Alvarez has a 4.22 ERA in 179 Triple-A frames and has averaged nearly 11 strikeouts per nine at that level.