Red Sox sign Andres Torres to minor league contract

Aug 6, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Andres Torres (56) during batting practice before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps in an effort to add some depth to what has been the worst outfield in baseball, the Red Sox have signed 36-year old outfielder Andres Torres to a minor league deal.

It’s entirely possible that Torres never sees any time with the Red Sox this season. As a general rule, it would be unfair to expect a 36-year old to contribute on the big league level after missing the first two months of the season. He hasn’t done much with the bat in recent seasons, slashing just .250/.302/.342 in 103 games with the San Francisco Giants last season.

However, if he can even return to that form after the afore-mentioned two missing months, then he could certainly provide a bit of value for the Red Sox. He could provide some speed and has consistently been rated an above-average defensive player in all three outfield positions. And though his overall hitting numbers are pretty mediocre, he has somewhat significant platoon splits. In his career, his OPS is .737 against southpaws and just .680 against right-handers and those splits have grown even more pronounced in recent seasons as he slashed .291/.342/.376 against lefties last season and only .206/.259/.305 against righties.

A platoon player like Torres will not be very valuable if the Red Sox continue to struggle this season. However, if they begin stringing together a few wins, then having a bench piece like Torres could be very useful for the Red Sox. In any case, though, it’s a solid depth move in a time when the Red Sox need about as much depth as they can get.