Red Sox Slugger Elects Free Agency After Lackluster Stint In Boston

This once-hyped catcher's stint did not last very long

Scott Neville | Aug 7, 2023

Red Sox Slugger Elects Free Agency After Lackluster Stint In Boston /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox lost a piece of organization depth over the weekend but probably aren't beating themselves up about it.

"Jorge Alfaro cleared waivers and elected free agency," MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported Saturday. "He was designated for assignment on Aug. 1 when Reese McGuire came back."

The veteran catcher had a lot of hype entering the season after a strong Dominican League performance last winter followed by a notable spring training. His impressive bat flips and Jason Momoa-like physique made him a quick fan favorite in Boston before making it to Fenway.

Unfortunately, his actual performance for the Red Sox while McGuire was injured did not live up to expectations. Alfaro hit .118 (2-for-17) with a .368 OPS in eight games while playing putrid defense.

The 30-year-old is back in free agency for the second time this season, making a brief stint with the Colorado Rockies before returning to the Red Sox briefly.

Alfaro's most notable performance this season came with Triple-A Worcester during his first stint with the organization. He hit .320 with 21 extra-base hits including six home runs, 30 RBIs and a .886 OPS in 43 games for the WooSox before opting out.

Instead of returning back to the only place he's thrived this season, Alfaro is betting on himself once again in free agency, though his stock continues to decline.

More MLB: Red Sox Retain Fan-Favorite Slugger After Hitting Waiver Wire

Published Aug 7, 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