Boston Red Sox designate Grady Sizemore for assignment, promote Garin Cecchini
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The experiment is over in Boston. The Boston Red Sox have designated outfielder Grady Sizemore for assignment, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. This move was made to make room for infielder Garin Cecchini, who was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation’s MLB Daily Dish.
Grady Sizemore, 31, was signed by Boston to a contract that was an “incentive-laden” deal in January, as he was trying to make the big-league team and play in the majors for the first time since 2011. His incentive-laden deal was set to pay him based on the certain amount of days and plate appearances he accumulated in the major leagues. According to Cotillo, Sizemore was twelve days away from earning a bonus of $250K based on how many days he has been on the 25-man roster and twenty plate appearances away from earning an additional bonus of $250K.
Sizemore started off his 2014 campaign by beating out Jackie Bradley Jr. for the starting center fielder job. On Opening Day (March 31) against the Baltimore Orioles, he hit a solo home run, as he went 2-for-4. However, after this he started a huge downfall. In April, Sizemore only posted a .191 average (13-for-68), as on the season he hit .216/.288/.324 with two home runs, fifteen runs batted in, ten doubles and a 40-to-41 hits-to-strikeouts ratio in 52 games.
Sizemore played all three outfield positions for the Red Sox for the first time in his career. The Red Sox were hoping that he could get back to his old form that he experienced in 2006-2008, where he was an AL All-Star every year. During the season, he had shown quick spurts of his old self, but could not maintain any momentum. In his nine-year career, Sizemore has compiled a .266 batting average to go along with 141 home runs, 473 runs batted in and 139 stolen bases.
Garin Cecchini, 23, has already made his debut in the majors (earlier this month), where he knocked in a run on a double, before being optioned back down to Pawtucket. At Triple-A Pawtucket, he was hitting .263 with two home runs and 24 runs batted in over 52 games. It is not likely that Cecchini stays up long, as he is not viewed as a long-time candidate for a spot on the Red Sox, as of right now.