Infielder Zack Short's tenure with the Boston Red Sox barely lasted a week.
After being acquired by Boston from the New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations on May 1, Ian Brown of MLB.com reports that the Red Sox traded him back to the NL East on May 9, sending him to the Atlanta Braves for what they gave up to get him (money).
Zack Short didn't even have to leave Atlanta after the Red Sox DFA'd him. He has been traded to the Braves for cash considerations.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) May 9, 2024
Short was designated for assignment only a day earlier, so the Red Sox decided it was better to cut their losses on him and save money on travel expenses by leaving him in Atlanta, where Boston wrapped up a two-game series versus the Braves on Wednesday.
The Red Sox initially brought Short in as an infield depth option, but he failed to record a hit in his seven plate appearances across two games with the club, striking out four times. He didn't fare much better with the Mets beforehand, batting .111/.273/.111 in 10 contests.
However, Short is only 28 years old, giving him time to improve as a batter. But he is known for his prowess as a defensive infielder, which Braves insider for The Athletic David O'Brien makes perfectly clear is the reason why Atlanta traded for him.
Sitting at 22-12 and in second place in the NL East, the Braves are on the shortlist of World Series contenders and fine-tuning their roster ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 30 in hopes of bolstering their postseason chances with additions like Short.
Now playing for his third team in the early portion of the 2024 campaign, Short is hoping to cling to the Braves roster for longer than the 12 combined games he appeared in for the Red Sox and Mets. But it's unlikely he will carve out a consistent role in the lineup, barring injury.
