Ex-Yankees Outfielder Signs With Red Sox As Much-Needed Depth Piece
The Boston Red Sox made a depth move by signing a former New York Yankees outfielder who provided a boost for his new rivals during the 2021 season.
While middle infield depth and starting pitching remain the priorities, Boston could use a boost in the outfield, and has identified a potential candidate to do so.
"Sources confirm the Red Sox are closing in on a minor-league deal with outfielder Greg Allen," MassLive's Chris Cotillo tweeted Wednesday.
Allen is a classic example of a "Four-A player" in the sense that he rakes in the minors but has not been able to get his bat to translate to Major League Baseball.
The 29-year-old is a career .232 hitter with 47 extra-base hits including 10 home runs, 67 RBIs and a .635 OPS in 282 games at the MLB level.
In Triple-A, Allen has hit .301 with a .845 OPS over the course of 172 career games.
While an offensive breakout is far from expected, Allen is a plus defender with base-stealing speed and experience playing for a big-market team.
The veteran journeyman also is a switch hitter.
Overall, Allen is not going to be the addition that takes the Red Sox over the hump, but he's not signed to be either. His exclusion from the 40-man roster means this signing does not inhibit Boston from adding more talent elsewhere.
Hopefully, Allen has a big moment or two against the Yankees, allowing Red Sox fans to have a little ammo for what is shaping up to be an unbalanced era of the historic rivalry.
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