On Sunday, the Red Sox designated Bobby Dalbec for assignment, punctuating a sentence that ran on for far too long.

Dalbec was already likely nearing the end of his time in the organization, as he was set to reach minor league free agency this offseason. Yet after years of trying to turn the former top infield prospect into a designated hitter, second baseman, and outfielder, it became unclear what, if anything, the Red Sox wanted to do with Dalbec, who’d worked his way up, only to find there wasn’t room for him at the top.

Originally a third base prospect during the farm’s lean years, Dalbec began spending more time at first base as his MiLB teammate Rafael Devers debuted in July 2017 and cemented himself at the hot corner (and eventually signed the longest, richest contract in franchise history). Then, just over two years after his own Aug. 30, 2020 debut, Dalbec found himself optioned to Triple-A so the Red Sox could call up Triston Casas. When Casas earned the starting first baseman job on the 2023 Opening Day roster and finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting, another door closed to Dalbec.

During spring training, Dalbec told the Herald he was surprised to still be with the Red Sox.

Executives within and outside of the organization were not. Sources told the Herald that the Red Sox were ‘very active’ in trying to move Dalbec at several points over the last four-plus years, including when he was their starting first baseman in ’21 and ’22; even before Casas’ promotion to Triple-A in 2022, the Red Sox viewed him as the more viable long-term option for first base.

Dalbec hit well in his 2020 debut – albeit in the small sample size of 23 games – but his batting average, on-base, and slugging percentages have dropped in each of the subsequent MLB seasons. (He’s only hit in 58 big-league games over the past two years, though.) It’s likely he would’ve benefitted from a trade, especially to one in a lower-pressure market, but the Red Sox never found any legitimate suitors.

“Even when he was hitting, he never had much trade value in the industry,” one executive told the Herald, describing the interest in Dalbec as ‘very minimal.’

The professional resumé is unique: a top prospect turned starting first baseman on a Red Sox team that was one game away from the World Series, then demoted to Triple-A, where he often displayed the immense power he was never able to consistently harness in the Majors.

If Dalbec clears waivers, the Red Sox can outright him back to Triple-A for the last two weeks of the MiLB season.

Either way, a change of scenery is finally coming.