The Boston Red Sox continued clearing space on their 40-man roster Thursday by trading infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations.
The move, first reported by Andrew Parker of Sox Prospects, marks the club’s second roster transaction of the day after dealing outfielder Nate Eaton to the Athletics earlier Thursday.
Together, the trades help Boston navigate the annual postseason deadline that requires every team to reduce its roster to 40 players by Monday evening.
Cheng’s tenure in Boston proved brief. The Red Sox claimed the Taiwanese infielder off waivers from the Washington Nationals in February, adding him to a roster already in flux.
He had previously debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025 and bounced through the waiver process during the subsequent offseason.
With the Sox, Cheng appeared in 14 major league games, primarily filling in at shortstop during a stretch when regulars dealt with injuries.
He posted a .256 average with one double, five RBI, and a .600 OPS across 44 plate appearances, offering solid defense but limited offensive impact in his limited opportunities.
For most of the 2026 campaign, Cheng spent time on optional assignment with Triple-A Worcester. There he hit a league-average .241/.345/.390 with eight home runs while drawing walks at a 14 percent clip and striking out at a 24 percent rate.
Scouts have long viewed him as a disciplined hitter with reliable defensive skills across the infield, the kind of utility profile that can contribute on a big-league bench.
At 25 and out of minor league options, however, he would have needed to stick on Boston’s active roster or risk being exposed to waivers again this winter.
From the Red Sox standpoint, the decision fits a broader pattern of roster housekeeping. With Sonny Gray expected to decline his mutual option and become a free agent, Boston’s 40-man count would have remained elevated without these moves.
Trading Cheng for cash allows the organization to retain flexibility for other additions while parting with a player who never established a regular role.
Detroit, which must also trim its roster depending on option decisions involving Drew Anderson and Kenley Jansen, gains an inexpensive depth piece who can compete for a bench job if he remains on the 40-man through the winter.
The trade underscores how thin the margins can be on a crowded 40-man.
Cheng’s defensive reliability and plate discipline gave him a legitimate chance to stick somewhere, yet Boston’s needs and the looming deadline made the cash return the practical choice.
For a team focused on reshaping its infield and overall depth heading into 2027, the move removes one variable without surrendering any long-term assets.
