The Boston Red Sox signed free-agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a a one-year, $8.25 million deal to join the team over the past offseason. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports the team will designate the 37 year old for assignment, leaving the team to pay the remaining $3.6 million left on his contract, unless another teams claims him on waivers. As per MLB rules, the team now has 10 days to trade, release or waive him.
Pierzynski is hitting .254/.286/.348 in 2014 in 274 plate appearances. He has four home runs.
The Red Sox will give a chance to Christian Vazquez who will play behind veteran Davis Ross. The 23-year-old Vazquez is a plus defensive catcher who has also produced with the bat at Pawtucket, and is said to be Major League ready.
This transaction may give some indication of that direction.
It’s at that point in the season that you start to look to invest in young players and look to take advantage of the games remaining for us and how we look to players that might be here beyond this season,” Red Sox skipper John Farrell said. “And in that case it’s Christian Vazquez who is behind the plate tonight.
Late last month the Red Sox called up Mookie Betts, the team’s No. 5 prospect, according to MLB.com’s Prospect Watch,
