25 In 25: Jonathan Herrera

Player Profile: Jonathan Herrera was acquired from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Franklin Morales and minor league prospect Chris Martin. Herrera, age 29, was originally signed by the Rockies as a free agent from Venezuela and has five seasons at the MLB level as a reserve infielder, with an occasional appearance in the outfield. Herrera will also be eligible for arbitration this off season and is coming off a $900,000 contract with the Rockies.

Herrera has a .265/.325/.332 MLB slash line in his five seasons with 1109 plate appearances and has demonstrated very limited power with 8 home runs and 66 RBI in his career. As we older fans say : “A Punch and Judy hitter.” Herrera is also a switch hitter who has a career .272 as a left-handed batter and .248 as a right-handed batter.

Sep 17, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Jonathan Herrera (18) fields a ground ball during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field. The Cardinals won 11-4. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

2013 And Recent History: Herrera will be in position to hold down a utility spot for Boston – a role he had with the Rockies. Herrera’s ability to play both the infield and outfield, although his outfield skills are debatable with only 14 innings, could potentially be a plus since manager John Farrell admires versatility. In 2013 Herrera had his best offensive numbers with a slash of .289/.325/.363 in 190 AB’s. Herrera has average speed and his defensive metrics show the same average label. You are a bench performer for five seasons for a reason.

2014 Outlook: Herrera will be a utility player for the 2014 Red Sox and will be considered number one on the utility depth chart as spring training begins, with potential competition from Brock Holt and invitee Mike McCoy. Herrera’s extensive experience and switch hitting ability could certainly play in his favor. If Herrera is on the MLB roster expect him to see duty as that has been the modus operandi of manger Farrell, who will find time for Herrera to see some playing time as veterans are rested or dinged.