Red Sox: 1 prospect to call up, 1 veteran to demote

Boston should demote Adam Ottavino

The 35-year-old Ottavino has a 4.50 ERA on the season and took a loss on May 2 in what was a painfully ineffective outing. He was charged with two earned runs in only 0.2 innings of work.

He is obviously not a long-term piece in Boston. The veteran is in a contract year and the Yankees threw in German as a thank you for taking Ottavino. It takes a lot for the rivals to do business, and both sides got something they wanted in the deal.

The Red Sox don’t necessarily need to release Ottavino. He is making right over $7 million this season, so the team may want to try to extract any sort of value out of him. But perhaps it should be as a scarcely-used reliever over someone getting regular work.

The team could also look to trade him to a rebuilding team where he could serve as a mentor and eat up innings.

The Red Sox appear to be legitimate contenders in 2021. And ultimately, the spot on the roster for German or Ottavino should not define the season. But bad outings from the veteran can play a part in derailing the season, which must be avoided at all costs.

The Yankees sent a legitimate prospect to Boston. The Red Sox should get him up and prove it was a mistake by their rival.