BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox announced Monday that outfielder Allen Craig had cleared waivers and had been outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket, eight days after the club had optioned him to their Triple-A team.

The move brings Boston's 40-man roster to 37.

The procedural move tells us a couple of things:

1. Craig's contract makes it prohibitive for another team to take a chance on him, at least as a waiver claim, because they would be inheriting the roughly $25 million still owed Craig from the 5-year, $31 million, back-ended deal he signed with the Cardinals in 2013.

A trade could still be worked out, but the Sox almost certainly would be eating much of the deal and at best might hope for some cash considerations in return.

2. Craig would seem to occupy no place in the club's future. It's not unprecedented for the team to outright a player then add him back, as the Sox notably did with Daniel Nava. But a return any time soon would seem out of the question, and given the glut of outfielders, it appears a matter of time before he ends up in another team's uniform.