Following Friday’s game, the Rays designated veteran reliever Al Reyes for assignment.

The move opens a roster spot for Chad Bradford, who was acquired from Baltimore on Thursday and will join the Rays on Saturday.

“It’s not easy,” said Joe Maddon. “We had to choose someone and we chose him.”

Updating with a bit more:

Reyes said he knew the move was coming, as his agent called him Thursday and told him to expect it, so he wasn’t surprised when he was called into Maddon’s office following the game.

He expressed some frustration with the injuries that led to him missing 55 games this season and inconsistent usage when he returned, but he also said he understood it considering the way the rest of the relievers were pitching. He also made a point to wish the Rays well not once but twice in an interview that lasted about two minutes.

“I wish all the luck to the team,” said Reyes. “I hope they made the right move and I’m just going to move on and see what happens the last couple months.”

Maddon made sure to emphasize how much he valued Reyes’ contributions last season, but it was pretty clear to everyone that he needed to be the one to go.

“I just told him, last year we were not very good, and we would have been horrid had he not been here,” said Maddon. “I wanted him to know how much I, personally, appreciate what he’s done. I felt like we had a good relationship and I’m going to miss him, but you keep moving things along. You’re always trying to make yourself better and we think that we have, and with that we had to choose somebody [to go] and it was him.”