After five seasons with the Boston Red Sox, it appears as though Zack Kelly's time with the organization is over.

Kelly was designated for assignment by Boston as the organization had to trim down its 40-man roster and get into compliance with players being reinstated from the 60-day Injured List. On Friday, MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported that Kelly has cleared waivers, but that doesn't mean that there won't be interest in him on the open market.

"Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly cleared waivers and is expected to become a free agent in the coming days, sources said. There’s expected to be a strong market once he’s a free agent," Cotillo wrote.

The Red Sox Are Moving On

At the end of the day, it would be a very big surprise to see Kelly wearing a Boston uniform in 2027 at this point. Kelly actually logged a 3.31 ERA in 2026, but he was only able to get into 17 big league games. His last game in the majors was on May 19, and he didn't get another shot in the majors for the rest of the season.

Kelly was talked about as a trade candidate ahead of the deadline this past summer, and even sounded open to the idea of being moved, but Boston ended up holding onto him instead. Unfortunately, he didn't get another shot and now he's going to be out there in free agency looking for a new home.

Over the last five seasons, Kelly became a fan favorite in Boston. He appeared in 115 games and logged a 4.04 ERA in 131 1/3 innings pitched for Boston. He's a guy who made it through a lot of adversity in the first place to even get to the majors. Kelly went undrafted and began his professional career back in 2017 as a member of the Athletics' organization. His big league debut didn't come until 2022 in Boston.

It was a long road to get to the majors in the first place. This is a guy who is going to bounce back and find his way. He has shown that throughout his professional career and it's why Red Sox fans grew to love him. While it's unfortunate that things didn't work out between Boston and the fireballer this offseason, hopefully he finds his next opportunity soon and is able to get back into the majors in 2027. He's got the talent. Now he needs the opportunity.