Ex-Red Sox First-Round Pick DFA'd; Should They Bring Him Back?

Boston could add another utility man with some serious pop

Scott Neville | Sep 27, 2022

Ex-Red Sox First-Round Pick DFA'd; Should They Bring Him Back? /

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Should the Boston Red Sox bring back a former top prospect who was dealt at the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline a year ago?

They'll get their chance after the former fan favorite entered the waiver wire.

The Pittsburgh Pirates designated utility man Michael Chavis for assignment on Monday. The 27-year-old hit .242 with 37 extra-base hits including 15 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .673 OPS in 141 games across two seasons.

As was the issue when in Boston, Chavis posted a 136-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a clear factor in the release.

The right-handed slugger, who was held in the same breath as superstar third baseman Rafael Devers when they were in the minor leagues, was shipped off for left-handed reliever Austin Davis last summer.

Just over a year later both players have been designated for assignment, as it appears neither side got much of an advantage in the deal.

Now that Chavis is back on the market, he could be a candidate to come back to Boston. He's certainly a flawed player, but he could compete with the likes of Yu Chang and Abraham Almonte for depth roles heading into 2023. While chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom traded Chavis away, he also likes to pick up players with Chavis' profile.

Christian Arroyo and Chang were acquired as former top prospects that can play multiple positions but never reached their potential. Chavis would fit that mold.

Chavis is a fantastic player to have in the clubhouse by all accounts and has been a fan favorite in both organizations. Wherever he ends up, his new fanbase will love to have him.

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Published Sep 27, 2022

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu