Jung Jong-chul moves to the Boston Red Sox but could still be designated for assignment again.

Jung Jong-chul was picked up by the Boston Red Sox via the waiver process, becoming the fifth team he has joined this offseason. Yet, the Red Sox will soon have to free up a spot on their 40-man roster, which means he is likely to face his fifth designation for assignment (DFA) and waiver procedure again.

Jung Jong-chul was designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals on January 31 and was ultimately claimed by the Boston Red Sox through waivers on February 7. During this offseason, he has been designated for assignment by his original team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, and Nationals. Although he was claimed by teams each time through waivers, he never stayed with any team for more than a week before being DFA’d again.

Jung Jong-chul still has one option year allowing him to move freely between the major and minor leagues. His strong defensive skills at second base and shortstop are the primary reasons teams continue to select him—so long as he goes unclaimed in the waiver process, he can be retained within a team’s minor league system as depth. Despite poor hitting performance over the past two years, he will turn 25 this July, an age when professional players typically still have room to develop.

Although the Red Sox claimed Jung Jong-chul today, they may designate him for assignment again within a few days. The Red Sox have reportedly reached an agreement with Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a one-year, $6 million contract pending a physical. If the deal is finalized, the Red Sox will need to free up a spot on their 40-man roster, and Jung is currently the most likely candidate to be designated for assignment.

Spending the entire offseason in Taiwan and training with the World Baseball Classic team, Jung Jong-chul previously stated he would return to the U.S. to await news from a new team. He candidly shared, “Except for feeling a bit sad when the Pirates DFA’d me at first—since I had been with them and knew many people, it was a bit hard to let go—after that, I’ve been fine. I’m in Taiwan, enjoying playing with everyone during training, and my mood is good. I’m still me.”