A.J. Pierzynski released by Boston Red Sox

Out with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, in with A.J. Pierzynski. That was the plan for the Boston Red Sox at catcher this off-season, and it seemed like a perfectly fine one.

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In 2013 Pierzynski touted a solid bat at the catcher position. Playing for the Texas Rangers, Pierzynski batted .272/.297/.425 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI. Throw in that little bit of pop with a veteran presence behind the plate, and the deal that the Sox signed him to looked like a nice value. To land him on a one-year, $8.25 million deal seemed like a no-brainer in an off-season that otherwise did not have major moves in Boston.

That deal did not work out. Pierzynski reportedly rubbed people in the clubhouse the wrong way while batting only .254/.286/.348 through 72 games. Last week the club designated him for assignment, and on Wednesday the club announced that they have officially released the catcher.

This move might be more about his personality than anything else. If the veteran was a good fit in the clubhouse, managing the pitching staff, and so on, the Red Sox would have had more patience with his lackluster offense. But for a team that so valued chemistry en route to a World Series title and is now struggling in 2014, they apparently saw no reason to keep him any longer.

Given his track record and the potential that his bat could click once again, it is hard to imagine that Pierzynski will be out of action long before he catches on with a new team.