A Farewell To Eduardo Nunez, Who Was Designated For Assignment Today

It appears as though the Eduardo Nunez Era in Boston has come to an end, and what a ride it was. In the summer of 2017, the former All Star was flipped from the San Francisco Giants to the Boston Red Sox and set the world on fire, hitting .321 with an .892 OPS becoming somewhat of a cult hero for his scorching hot bat after the trade.

In 2018, Nunez became a cult hero for his adventures on the baseball diamond, spending more time on his ass than on his feet en route to a World Series title. His pinch hit homer in Game 1 of the World Series was an iconic moment in a season filled with iconic moments. His inability to keep his balance in the epic 18-inning Game 3 of that same series will also live on in Boston lore.

But in 2019, a season in which the Red Sox are searching for production anywhere they can get it, there wasn’t much to be found in Nunez’s corner. With Brock Holt, Michael Chavis and Marco Hernandez in the fold for second base depth, Nunez became the odd man out after hitting .228 with a .548 OPS, and .200 with a .554 OPS against lefties, which was Alex Cora’s intended use for the veteran infielder.

For baseball reasons, it wasn’t a tough decision given the numbers, but from a clubhouse standpoint, this one wasn’t very easy at all. He’s one of those guys where it doesn’t matter what he was laughing at, you’d laugh if you just heard his laugh.

He took guys like Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers under his wing and helped them grow as big leaguers. He was often willing to play hurt, he was willing to start, and he was willing to come off the bench. Wherever he ends up, that clubhouse will be a better place the second he walks through the door. God speed, Noontime. Thanks for the memories.