Red Sox Lose 4-Year Veteran To Free Agency After Brief Stint in Boston

Ali Sánchez, who the Red Sox actually acquired twice this season (once off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays, once in a trade with the New York Mets), elected free agency on Monday, marking the end of the most unusual player tenure Boston encountered all season.

Sánchez, 28, was claimed on Aug. 8, just to be designated for assignment on the 18th. He elected free agency then, too, signing a minor-league deal with the Mets. But only eight days after that, roster expansions prompted the Red Sox to trade cash considerations to New York to bring Sánchez back and put him on their 28-man roster for most of September.

In total, Sánchez spent 27 days on the active major league roster, and he got all of two plate appearances to show for it. Both came in blowouts, and one came against Houston Astros outfielder Chas McCormick, who was throwing eephus after eephus.

As Red Sox fans learned on Monday, starting catcher Carlos Narváez was playing through a partially torn meniscus for most of the summer, which made Boston's front office cautious enough about the backup catching situation to want Sánchez around for as long as possible.

Still, his roster spot was quite wasteful at times, as the team searched for offense all September but never showed any inkling of giving Sánchez an at-bat that mattered. There's a reason virtually no other teams carry three catchers, even during that month with the extra roster spot.

In his four-year career to this point, Sánchez has slashed .183/.220/.233 across only 50 games. He'll be looking for another minor-league contract this offseason and hoping the depth chart falls his way during spring training.