The Red Sox announced this afternoon that right-hander Eduard Bazardo has gone unclaimed on outright waivers and elected free agency, as is his right with multiple career outright assignments. Boston had designated him for assignment last week upon claiming reliever Jake Reed off waivers from the Orioles.
Bazardo made 12 appearances for the Sox down the stretch after being selected to the majors at the start of September. He pitched to a 2.76 ERA over 16 1/3 innings, but he allowed four home runs while only striking out 16.9% of opposing hitters. The front office was clearly skeptical of his ability to continue to allow fewer than three earned runs per nine with those peripherals. He was bumped off the 40-man roster for the sidewinding Reed.
That late-season work was Bazardo’s longest stretch of play in the majors. His only previous big league experience was a two-game cameo in 2021, when he tossed three innings. The Venezuela native has otherwise spent his eight-year professional career climbing through the Boston farm system. He’s spent parts of the last two years at Triple-A Worcester, where he’s worked to a 4.33 ERA with an average 23.1% strikeout rate and a solid 7.7% walk percentage.
As he heads to the open market for the first time in his career, Bazardo represents an affordable option for teams seeking bullpen depth. He’s likely to receive a few minor league offers with big league Spring Training invitations.