The Boston Red Sox made a surprising roster move Saturday, cutting ties with a 12-year MLB veteran even as the club carried an eight-game winning streak into Sunday’s final game before the All-Star break.
The decision reflects Boston’s continued effort to maximize its roster during a playoff push that just three weeks ago seemed out of reach, signaling that recent success won’t prevent the front office from making difficult personnel moves when it sees an opportunity to improve.
The Red Sox designated left-hander Danny Coulombe for assignment, according to a report by Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The move came immediately after Coulombe closed out a 4-0 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field despite walking three in his two innings of work. Had Coulombe pitched in one more game, he would have triggered a $75,000 performance bonus, according to MLB Trade Rumors‘ Charlie Wright.
Coulombe threw the final two innings of Saturday’s win, allowing no hits but issuing three free passes and needing a season-high 37 pitches to get through it. It was his 29th appearance of the year. Shortly after the final out, the Red Sox informed him he’d been designated for assignment, and the left-hander hugged his teammates goodbye, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. Boston now has a week to trade him, put him on waivers, or release him outright.
Coulombe’s Boston Red Sox Tenure: Short and Uneven
GettyRelief pitcher Danny Coulombe #67 was designated for assignment Saturday by Boston Red Sox .
Coulombe arrived in Fort Myers in March on a one-year, $1 million deal, brought in to give the Red Sox a second lefty option behind closer Aroldis Chapman, according to MLB.com’s CJ Haddad. Then-manager Alex Cora called the addition a clear upgrade at the time.
“Having Danny here makes us better,” Cora said, as quoted by MLB.com. “I think we’re better today than what we were yesterday.”
Coulombe, full name Daniel Paul Coulombe and nicknamed “Frenchie,” is 36 years old and hails from St. Louis. The Dodgers drafted him twice before he debuted in the majors in 2014. Over 12 seasons with six organizations, he compiled a 17-12 record, a 3.45 ERA and 322 strikeouts across 371 games, almost all in relief. His best stretch came with Baltimore in 2023, when he posted a 2.81 ERA, and he was nearly untouchable with Minnesota last year before a rocky stint in Texas.
None of that carried over to Boston. Coulombe finishes his Red Sox tenure 0-2 with a 4.95 ERA, a 1.500 WHIP and just 10 strikeouts but 15 walks in 22 innings, numbers dragged down further by a stint on the injured list in May.
Red Sox Keep Rolling Amid Coulombe Fallout
Coulombe’s exit barely registers against the bigger story in Boston — a team that looked buried in June has won 13 of its last 15 games, dragging itself back into the thick of the American League Wild Card race. After Saturday’s 4-0 win over the New York Mets, the Red Sox sit just 1/2 game out of an American League playoff spot with 69 games left to play.
First baseman Willson Contreras, an All-Star selection who’s been slugging near .800 over his last 15 games, has powered the turnaround alongside a starting staff that has more than held up despite the absence of injured ace Garrett Crochet. Red Sox starters have a 3.87 ERA, eighth-best in MLB. And Aroldis Chapman, still closing games at 38, recently broke the all-time MLB relief strikeout record and has remained steady in the late innings even as the arms around him keep churning.
The Red Sox close out their series against the Mets and head into the All-Star break chasing a wild card spot with a bullpen that no longer includes the veteran reliever who helped close out Saturday’s win.
Boston Red Sox Cut Ties With 12-Year MLB Veteran During 8-Game Winning Streak