Ex-Red Sox Flamethrower Released By Reds As Tumultuous Season Continues

Boston appears to have let the reliever go at the right time

Scott Neville | Jul 14, 2023

Ex-Red Sox Flamethrower Released By Reds As Tumultuous Season Continues /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox made a questionable move in the offseason to let go of a reliever that appeared to be budding with potential. However, it now appears that the Red Sox cut bait at the perfect time.

Former Red Sox right-hander Franklin German was released by the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, according to the MLB transaction wire.

German had a release-worthy 8.64 ERA, 13-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .286 batting average against and 1.92 WHIP in 8 1/3 innings for Triple-A Louisville.

The release comes only a couple of months after the White Sox designated him for assignment -- the club Boston traded German to in exchange for Theo Denlinger.

Meanwhile, Denlinger has a 3.66 ERA with a 33-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .171 batting average against and 1.19 WHIP in 32 innings pitched between Double-A and Triple-A.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom appears to have the edge on the trade but it's odd to see German's downfall.

The 25-year-old posted a 2.58 ERA, 46-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .154 batting average against and 0.94 WHIP for Triple-A Worcester last season. His lone stint in the big leagues did not go as planned (eight earned runs in four innings) but he still entered the winter as an intriguing arm.

Hopefully, German can find a new landing spot and find what made him so promising a season ago. I doubt that spot will be with Boston.

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Published Jul 14, 2023

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