Red Sox sign first baseman Adam Lind to minor league deal
The Boston Red Sox have reportedly signed first baseman Adam Lind to a minor league deal. He will report to Triple-A Pawtucket.
Adam Lind is returning to the AL East. NBC Sports Boston’s Evan Drellich reports that the Boston Red Sox have agreed to terms with Lind on a minor league deal.
Lind is expected to report to Triple-A Pawtucket. He hasn’t appeared in the majors since last season and will need to rack up some plate appearances before he’s ready to contribute at the big league level.
The 34-year old was released by the New York Yankees during spring training. He re-signed with the Bronx Bombers again in April, only to be released again last Friday.
The 12-year veteran has hit .272/.330/.465 with 200 career home runs. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays so he’s no stranger to this division. Lind has bounced around through stints in Milwaukee, Seattle and Washington over the last three seasons.
Lind hit .303 with a .875 OPS and 14 home runs in 116 games for the Nationals last year.
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Fenway has always been a park where Lind has enjoyed hitting. He owns a career .294/.322/.495 slash line with eight home runs, 11 doubles and a pair of triples in 56 games in Boston.
The Red Sox could use some additional depth at first base following the release of Hanley Ramirez. The only regular first baseman on the roster is Mitch Moreland. The versatile Brock Holt can handle the position but only has 18 appearances under his belt at first. Blake Swihart could also be given a chance at the position but he’s only played first for a total of four innings in the majors.
Moreland will continue to see the majority of the playing time at first base but Lind gives them a trusted veteran to back him up. Lind isn’t an ideal platoon partner considering both he and Moreland are left-handed and struggle against southpaw pitchers. That may limit Lind’s playing time to pinch-hitting and the occasional game when Moreland needs a breather.
We don’t want to see Moreland out of the lineup too often the way he’s hitting. He entered the day hitting .317 with a 1.027 OPS this season. However, an injury to Moreland would leave the team exposed at first base. You need depth to navigate the grueling schedule of a major league season. At the very least, Lind offers that much needed depth.