Eric Young Jr. (EY) has never been an offensive powerhouse. Young has batted .248 with 12 HR for his career. Young, 32, also only managed to hit five doubles last year with all the speed he possesses, signaling a red flag.
More from Red Sox News
- Red Sox Nation deserves far more from Fenway Sports Group
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
However, EY hit his second highest batting average of his career (.264) and HR (four) for the Los Angeles Angels. It may be single-or-bust for EY at the plate, but he provides the Red Sox with excellent fielding and speed. Similar to Dyson, Young could improve the amount of scoring opportunities and runs for the offense.
Young’s career stats aren’t very impressive, but producing one of the best years of your career at 32 suggests bigger things are ahead for your career. A player who is athletic enough to impact the game in multiple ways still has plenty to give toward the end of his career.
Not only can Young serve as a backup outfielder, but he also can serve as a backup second baseman if need be. This allows the Red Sox to plug in a cheap alternative if Dustin Pedroia needs extended time off.
If given an opportunity, Young could see an uptick in doubles if he’s able to slap the ball off the Monster and use his speed to stretch singles into doubles. Young isn’t a perfect fit, but he’s an inexpensive option in a market that favors power over speed.