Mar 8, 2013; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder
Corey Brown(10) against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training game at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Today, the Red Sox continued their recent trend of stockpiling minor league depth by coming to terms with Corey Brown on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Brown is a 28 year old outfielder who has spent the last three seasons in the Washington Nationals’ organization, splitting time between Triple-A Syracuse and Washington. However, he is yet to see extended big league time and at 28, has not yet proven himself to be anything more than a Quadruple-A player.
Despite his flaws, however, Brown does bring an intriguing skill set to the table. Brown has the coveted combination of power and speed, as well as the ability to play all three outfield positions. In Syracuse last season, Brown slashed .254/.326/.473 with 19 home runs and 12 stolen bases and in seven minor league seasons, he has slashed .267/.351/.484. Unfortunately, those impressive numbers have yet to translate to the major league level as Brown has slashed just .175/.250/.400 over parts of three seasons in Washington.
Like most minor league signings around this time of year, there’s a minimal chance that Brown ever really contributes to the Red Sox. At the moment, he is behind all eight outfielders on the 40-man roster and unless he puts on a show in Pawtucket, then it’s unlikely that he would jump any of them. It’s still interesting to bring players like Brown aboard, though, as he could be a valuable player if he ever figures out how to put his tools together at the major league level.