Once-Hyped Red Sox Starting Position Player Could Be DFA'd Soon

The Boston Red Sox are on a roll and (actually) have the fan base hoping for meaningful October baseball this season.

The Red Sox are now 11-2 in their last 13 games and are only 1 1/2 games back of the final postseason spot in the American League.

This recent surge has taken some pressure off of former starting shortstop Kiké Hernández, who still leads Major League Baseball in errors with 14. The consistent issues in the field cost Hernandez the starting shortstop role, and it could soon cost him his spot on the roster altogether.

Utility man Pablo Reyes, who has been on the injured list with an abdominal strain since June 23, is nearing his return to the big league club. Reyes is out of minor league options so he can't be sent to Triple-A Worcester. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and company will soon have the decision of designating Reyes for assignment or letting another player on their roster walk.

Hernández seems to be a prime candidate to be designated for assignment. Not just because of the defensive issues, but the lack of production at the plate as well. 

Hernández currently has the third-worst qualified OPS in baseball (.597), only behind Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez. He frequently ends rallies with disappointing at-bats and is hitting .151 with zero extra-base hits over the last four weeks.

“That’s the cool thing about having a good team right now,” said manager Alex Cora about the upcoming roster decisions, as transcribed by MassLive's Christopher Smith. "For how tough it is quote-unquote, it’s a cool thing. It’s good that we’ve got more good players and we have to make tough decisions.”

While Cora is in a tough spot considering his close relationship with Hernández, even he has to know that his days on the Red Sox may soon be over. Cora, an impressive defensive infielder during his playing days, has to hate what he's seen from Hernández out there this season.

I think it would be a classic addition-by-subtraction situation if the Red Sox do indeed designate Hernández for assignment -- though there has been speculation that the Los Angeles Dodgers would consider trading for him. 

It would allow him to have a fresh start elsewhere and opens up some spots for returning players to thrive as this team continues to inch closer to a postseason spot.