Red Sox designate Edward Mujica for assignment

The Red Sox have designated right-hander Edward Mujica for assignment, according to a report from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Though the corresponding move is not yet known, Boston will clear spots on both the 25- and 40-man rosters by cutting ties with Mujica.

Speier speculates that the Red Sox will be adding Matt Barnes to their roster as a late-inning reliever, citing how the team recently scratched him from a start at Triple-A Pawtucket in order to use him in late-inning situations. Barnes, a former first-round pick, pitched two scoreless innings for the Sox earlier in the year but has spent the majority of the season with Pawtucket.

Mujica, who will turn 31 this week, posted a 4.03 ERA in 75 games with the Red Sox over the past two seasons after signing a two-year, $9.5 million deal as a free agent after the 2013 campaign. He will likely clear waivers due to the roughly $4 million that remains on his contract for this season, meaning that the most likely course is that he will hit free agency and be able to sign with any club for the major-league minimum. Mujica had posted a 4.61 ERA in eleven games with Boston so far this year.

In ten major-league seasons with the Indians (2006-2008), Padres (2009-2010), Marlins (2011-2012), Cardinals (2012-2013) and Red Sox (2014-2015), Mujica is the owner of a lifetime 3.79 ERA in 456 appearances (four starts). His strongest couple of seasons came with St. Louis, in which he posted a 2.27 ERA mark in 94 appearances and was named to the 2013 NL All-Star team.