Spring training stats don't matter. That should be the refrain that Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow is telling himself every morning. To be sure, there are always aspects of spring training that do, in fact, matter but what you can't overreact to is players either performing well above an established ceiling (or even well below it in some cases). And that definitely applies to Trayce Thompson.
The Red Sox brought in the 33-year-old outfielder (who turns 34 on March 15) on a minor-league deal as potential outfield depth. With Wilyer Abreu still out of action, though, Boston has given Thompson a plethora of opportunities this spring and he's taken full advantage of that.
In 12 spring training games with the Red Sox, Thompson is tied for the MLB lead with six home runs while also smacking two doubles and walking seven times in 32 plate appearances. That's good for a 1.740 OPS and a .375 batting average. While he's not alone, he's been the breakout star for Boston leading up to Opening Day — but that's also a trap that Breslow and the Sox can't afford to fall into.
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Red Sox, Craig Breslow can't be fooled by Trayce Thompson's monster spring training
Red Sox insider Sean McAdam of MassLive recently noted that Breslow and the front office have made it clear to other teams that they're in the market for right-handed outfield depth. Thompson would fit the bill there, to be sure, but his overall track record outside of his monster spring suggests that Boston should stay the course in looking for other options.
For his career, Thompson has hit for power with 45 home runs in 935 at-bats but has done so with just a .212 batting average and .711 OPS. That's good for just a 93 OPS+, below the league average of 100. Furthermore, MLB may have already seen the best from the veteran and brother of Klay Thompson as well.
Thompson last saw the majors in the 2023 season, spending time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. Over 72 combined games, he had a dismal camaign with a .163/.285/.294 slash line with 77 strikeouts in 179 plate appearances. No other way to slice it, that's beyond poor. And it's also a big reason as to why he then spent the 2024 season in the minors with the Mets and Cubs organizations before landing with the Red Sox this offseason.
Boston's need for more right-handed bats isn't anything new, though answers could be on the way with Kristian Campbell, a healthy Trevor Story, and, of course, the addition of Alex Bregman. Even still, the outfield is somewhat short in that department, hence the club poking around regarding their interest for such a player.
Even if a trade doesn't materialize, though, the Red Sox and Breslow would be better served rekindling an old flame with Adam Duvall, who remains available in free agency, or something of that ilk as opposed to Thompson. In the late stages of his career, Thompson has shown what kind of player he is — and it's definitely not the spring training juggernaut that screams fool's gold right now.