Red Sox roster moves include Boston cutting bait with rookie reliever who has pitched 35 games

BOSTON — As the Red Sox re-adjust their roster after making three trades ahead of Monday’s deadline, they’ve decided to move on from a rookie who has been with them all season.

Reliever Ryan Watson, a Rule 5 pick who has appeared in 35 games for Boston, has been designated for assignment , sources said Tuesday. Newcomer Erik Miller, acquired in the trade that sent Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco, will take his place in the bullpen.

The Red Sox also optioned infielder Romy Gonzalez to Triple-A to make room for outfielder Eli White, who was acquired from Atlanta.

Backup catcher Jake Rogers was added to the active roster as well, taking the spot vacated by Carlos Narváez, who was traded to Baltimore in a package for Adley Rutschman. Rutschman is on the 10-day injured list with wrist inflammation.

The Watson move cleared a 40-man roster spot.

Interim manager Chad Tracy said Gonzalez took the demotion professionally.

Gonzalez began the year on the IL while recovering from left shoulder surgery and missed the first three months. He appeared in only six rehab games in June and then struggled to find his swing in the majors, going 12 for 65 (.185).

“It’s difficult,” Tracy said. “He’s not pleased, obviously. But I think (he handled it) like a pro. ... It’s tough because he was a huge part of it and he still is. There’s still an avenue. He could still help, but it’s not easy to have that conversation, especially knowing he’s working on finding himself with the swing and stuff like that and we know what it looks like when it’s right. So not easy.”

The Red Sox took a flier on Watson, 28, in December when they traded infield prospect Justin Riemer to the A’s for him after the Athletics had selected him in the Rule 5 draft. Watson won a roster spot after an up-and-down spring training and has largely served a multi-inning, mop-up role all season. In 55 ⅔ innings, the Alabama native posted a 4.53 ERA and 43 strikeouts. He struggled early but had logged a 3.40 ERA and 33 strikeouts in his last 39 ⅔ innings dating back to April 28. Fifteen of his 35 outings were for two innings or more.

The Red Sox faced a roster crunch with the hard-throwing Miller coming east after being acquired Monday . Closer Aroldis Chapman and setup man Garrett Whitlock are entrenched at the back end of the bullpen and Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten, Jovani Morán and Greg Weissert have emerged as trusted middle relief options. The Sox had to decide whether to cut bait with Watson — who as a Rule 5 pick cannot be sent to the minors freely — or option Brayan Bello, who is serving an emergency long relief role and has pitched well in it recently. They chose to move on from Watson after four months.

The Red Sox will put Watson on waivers and see if anyone wants to claim him in the coming days. If not, they will have to offer him back to the Giants — his original team from last season — for $50,000. San Francisco can re-claim him and send him to a minor league affiliate.

Miller, a left-hander, gives Tracy another late-inning option. He is in the 98th percentile in both expected batting average (.181) and hard-hit percentage (27.4%). He is in the 97th percentile in whiff percentage (34.8%) and the 95th in strikeout percentage (31.7%).

“Big stuff, big arm, throws hard, good breaking ball,” Tracy said.

Tracy said the Red Sox already had a strong bullpen, top to bottom.

“And he just adds to it,” Tracy added. “So it just gives you another high-leverage arm, another guy that has the ability to come in and get people out and get a ton of whiffs.”

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