The Bobby Dalbec era in Boston may be over, and manager Alex Cora knows it.
In order to make room for starting pitcher Richard Fitts to make his Major League Baseball debut on Sunday, the Boston Red Sox had to make room on the 40-man roster. They did so by designating first baseman/utility man Bobby Dalbec for assignment.
There was a time, before Triston Casas became the heir apparent to the Red Sox's first base gig, that Dalbec looked like the future of the position. He had a memorable five-game home run streak in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and popped 25 home runs in his first full season in 2021.
Three seasons later, though, Dalbec's presence on the 40-man roster was precarious at best. His former manager, who recognized there wasn't a place for the 29-year-old in his lineup anymore, seems to know this could be the end of the line.
Cora was asked on Sunday about the possibility of Dalbec needing a change of scenery.
“I hate to say that, right, but it’s happened before,” Cora said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “Like I said, let’s see what happens in the upcoming days and we’ll know more.”
In 175 big-league games from 2022-2024, Dalbec had a .198/.269/.330 slash line with 189 strikeouts. He struck out 43 times in 83 at-bats in the majors this season, and 132 more times in 321 minor league at-bats.
“If you look at the swing and miss percentages, he’s up there,” Cora said, per Smith. “He’s still a good player. Good defender. Has some pop. He’s a good athlete. So we’ll what happens in the upcoming days and then we’ll know more.”
If Dalbec goes unclaimed on waivers, the Red Sox can outright him to Triple-A and he will remain off the 40-man roster. He will be eligible to elect free agency and sign a minor-league deal elsewhere in the winter.
Reading between the lines, it seems as though Cora is rooting for his former player, but recognizes his best shot at keeping his big-league dream alive is catching on with another organization. He's probably right, and that's the cutthroat reality of baseball at the highest level.
