The Red Sox have released 26-year old lefty swinging outfielder Jeremy Hermida. He played in 52 games for the Red Sox this year and he was 32 of 158 (.203 avg, .605 OPS) with 14 runs scored, 5 homers, 27 RBIs and 45 whiffs. Hermida was also a terrible outfielder as he made 4 errors in 49 games in the outfield for the BoSox and he made numerous other plays that were downright awful despite not being called errors. I have little doubt that Hermida will hook on with another team next year because of his age but the Red Sox won’t miss him one bit.

The Red Sox have traded 28-year old righty reliever Manny Delcarmen to the Rockies for 21-year old lefty starting pitcher Chris Balcolm-Miller. Delcarmen pitched in 48 games (0 starts) for the Red Sox this year and he is 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. He walked 28 batters in only 44 innings for the Red Sox this year which was likely the final straw. Delcarmen pitched in 289 games (0 starts) in his six years with the Red Sox and he was 11-6 with 3 saves, a 3.89 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Balcolm-Miller has started 19 games in A-ball this year and he is 6-7 with a 3.31 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. He has only given up 86 hits while whiffing 117 batters in only 108 2/3 innings in the minors so far this year which shows you what kind of stuff he has. The most impressive number for Balcolm-Miller this year is the fact that he has only walked 20 batters this year. I really like this trade for the Red Sox as Manny Delcarmen just wasn’t getting the job done anymore.

30-year old righty swinging IF/OF Bill Hall and 31-year old righty swinging outfielder Darnell McDonald have been godsends for the Red Sox this year. With all of the injuries the team has suffered they wouldn’t be where they are right now without these two guys. Hall has played in 95 games for the Red Sox and he is 65 of 273 (.238 avg, .771 OPS) with 37 runs scored, 17 homers, 40 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. Hall is tied for fourth in homers (17) with J.D. Drew on the Red Sox despite not playing every day. McDonald has played in 96 games for the Red Sox this year and he is 71 of 262 (.271 avg, .778 OPS) with 33 runs scored, 8 homers, 31 RBIs and 7 stolen bases. McDonald has set new career highs in every stat this year for the Red Sox.

30-year old righty starting pitcher Josh Beckett has been truly awful this season when he has been healthy enough to pitch. Beckett has started 14 games for the Red Sox so far this year and he is 3-3 with a 6.67 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Beckett has been getting hit really hard as he has given up 98 hits (12 homers) in only 82 1/3 innings this year. Beckett just doesn’t seem to pitch good in even numbered years. In his three even numbered years with the Red Sox, he has pitched in 74 games (all starts) in which he is 31-24 with a 4.94 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. But in odd numbered years Beckett has been awesome for the Red Sox working in 62 games (all starts) in which he is 37-13 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. The Red Sox need Beckett to pitch well the rest of the season if they are going to have any hope of catching either the Rays or the Yankees in September.

The desperate Red Sox tried to rush starting 2B Dustin Pedroia back from the D.L. just like they did Jacoby Ellsbury. Now Pedroia goes right back on the D.L. with a left foot injury. Pedroia has played in 75 games for the Red Sox this year and he is 87 of 302 (.288 avg, .860 OPS) with 53 runs scored, 12 homers, 41 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. The Red Sox have called up 22-year old righty swinging 2B/SS Yamaico Navarro to replace Pedroia on the roster. He made his major league debut last night for the BoSox and he was 1 for 3 with a whiff. Navarro played in 104 games in AAA-ball this year for the Red Sox and he was 105 of 382 (.275 avg, .793 OPS) with 57 runs scored, 11 homers, 61 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. He has now played in 411 games in his five years in the minors and he is 440 of 1,564 (.281 avg, .777 OPS) with 228 runs scored, 36 homers, 242 RBIs and 48 stolen bases.