Nathaniel Lowe has quickly situated himself upon signing with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. As many expected, the veteran first baseman's arrival foreshadowed the end of utility man Abraham Toro's time as a platoon player. However, the club has reportedly elected to move on from the latter entirely in a sudden turn of events.
Boston has designated Toro for assignment, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, which isn't necessarily surprising or a problem. The writing had been on the wall for him as soon as the Washington Nationals DFA'd and eventually released Lowe. Nonetheless, the Red Sox recalling an infielder in a corresponding transaction as part of the fallout makes this decision a lateral and perhaps even negative move.
The Red Sox have designated Abraham Toro for assignment, according to a source. David Hamilton has been recalled.
— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) August 21, 2025
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Red Sox DFA Abraham Toro only to questionably recall David Hamilton
What's the point of parting ways with Toro if the option behind door No. 2 is even worse? Hamilton presumably wouldn't crack the lineup even if an everyday starter gets hurt. The Red Sox have the depth and positional versatility to pivot to other alternatives, especially with Lowe in town.
Perhaps Hamilton getting brought back up to the Majors is more about Boston's current roster situation than the long-term outlook. They recently (and surprisingly) placed outfielder Rob Refsnyder on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain. Could the issue be worse than we've been led to believe? Given the timing, the two outcomes hardly feel coincidental.
How do the surging Red Sox expect Hamilton to help their rampant postseason push? They have a 182-game sample from 2023 to 2025 that tells them he does more harm than good. He's slashing .218/.278/.342 with a .620 OPS, 11 home runs and 40 RBIs across 459 career big league at-bats. If Boston turns to him at any point down the stretch of this campaign, something has gone wrong.
Hamilton does offer value as a baserunner and serviceable defender. He's recorded 50 stolen bases and zero Outs Above Average (OAA) over the past two seasons. But will Red Sox manager Alex Cora legitimately trust him in winning time? Toro isn't the answer either, though at least he flashed as an early-year hero in May and June.