The Red Sox are sending infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the Tigers in exchange for cash, according to Andrew Parker of Sox Prospects. Cheng will take up a spot on Detroit’s 40-man roster, which is sitting at either 42 or 44 depending on the club’s option decisions for Drew Anderson and Kenley Jansen.
Boston already opened one roster spot earlier Thursday by dealing Nate Eaton to the Athletics. The Red Sox will be down to 42 once Sonny Gray turns down his side of a mutual option and heads into free agency. Both clubs still have to get to 40 by Monday evening.
Cheng’s time in Boston was brief. The Red Sox claimed him off waivers from the Nationals in February, and the 25-year-old infielder spent one season in the organization after bouncing around the waiver wire over the 2025-26 offseason.
He got a three-game big league look with the Pirates last year, then saw only limited action for Boston, starting 13 games at shortstop during a month on the major league roster. In 44 plate appearances, he hit .256 with one extra-base hit, a double.
The rest of the year was spent at Triple-A Worcester on optional assignment, where Cheng put up a .241/.345/.390 line with eight home runs. He showed patience at the plate, walking at a strong 14% clip, while striking out 24% of the time.
The power never really showed up, and he didn’t consistently drive the ball with much force. Even so, evaluators have long liked the on-base skills and defensive versatility that make him a possible utility option.
He’s out of minor league options now, so he’ll have to win a bench job in Detroit if he keeps his 40-man place through the offseason.
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