The Boston Red Sox sure look like they could use a fresh start as the calendar flips to June. Back-and-forth play throughout May saw Alex Cora's club go 11-17 last month, and even though they opened June with a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves, the Red Sox must show more consistency if they want to be perceived as a playoff threat again.
With the 2025 campaign heating up in the summer months and the trade deadline looming, the Red Sox will be looking to make some roster moves to get back into the playoff race. In fact, Boston already made an interesting move to open June by kicking a struggling veteran to the curb.
Red Sox DFA C/OF Blake Sabol to Begin June
The Red Sox announced a flurry of roster moves to begin June, including that veteran catcher/outfielder Blake Sabol has been designated for assignment. The move was done to create a 40-man roster spot so that Boston could select infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton's contract from Triple-A Worcester.
It isn't hard to see why Sabol was sent packing. The Aliso Viejo, CA native was only slashing .125/.167/188 with one RBI, one walk, and a 38.9% strikeout rate in his first eight games (16 at-bats) with the Red Sox, making it clear he can't handle being on a big-league roster at the moment. It'll be interesting to see if another team is willing to give him a fresh start.
Sabol, 27, is a versatile veteran who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft. He was then selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the Rule 5 draft ahead of the 2023 campaign but was traded to the San Francisco Giants before even suiting up for the NL Central club.
The Red Sox traded for Sabol back in January because of the potential he showed with the Giants. In two seasons spent in the Bay, the left-handed batter slashed .243/313/.392 with 13 HRs, 45 RBIs, 29 walks, and four stolen bases while spending defensive innings as a catcher and leftfielder.
Unfortunately, Sabol failed to show similar results with the Red Sox, leading to his being DFA'd as a new month begins. Boston now has a week to decide if they want to waive or trade him, or else he'll be able to elect free agency and roll the dice where he sees fit.
Signings that appear promising on paper don't always pan out, and the Red Sox's experience with Sabol is proof. Only time will tell if he'll rebound in a new environment, or if Boston was right to cut ties before his performance further worsened.