Red Sox sniffing around on former Rays utility man after being DFA’d

The Boston Red Sox appear to be looking inside the American League East Division in order to upgrade their roster by adding this former Tampa Bay Rays hero.

The Boston Red Sox appear to be leaving no stone unturned as the MLB trade deadline looms. According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, after trading away Christian Vazquez and acquiring Tommy Pham in two separate deals, Chaim Bloom appears to be kicking the tires on former Tampa Bay Rays utility player Brett Phillips.

Phillips was designated for assignment by the Rays yesterday after the acquisition of former Houston Astros outfielder Jose Siri. Phillips, you’ll remember, was the Rays postseason hero during the 2020 World Series.

The Red Sox are kicking the tires on former Rays utility player Brett Phillips.

Brett Phillips is a fun player to cheer for, but it’s not as if the outfielder is having a terrific 2022 campaign. Before being let go by the Rays, Phillips was hitting just .147/.225/.250 with five home runs and 14 RBIs.

Those numbers are well below Phillips’ career slash line, but he’s still more of a platoon player than an everyday starter. Phillips has seen time at all three outfield positions this season, but he’s best suited to play up the middle in center field.

The former sixth-round pick does offer a left-handed bat and speed on the base paths. He’s successfully stolen seven bags this season and is yet to be gunned down. Perhaps the Red Sox are looking for left-handed replacement for Jackie Bradley Jr. who’s hitting just .210 with an OPS+ of 59.

It’s a little odd to hear of the Boston Red Sox looking to add yet another left-handed outfield bat. With Bradley Jr., Alex Verdugo, and Jarren Duran the Red Sox already have three left-handed hitting outfielders on the roster.

Boston has been an intriguing team to watch at this year’s trade deadline. Perhaps adding Brett Phillips is the latest in the line of odd transactions Chaim Bloom is looking to pull off this week.