The Red Sox’ roster is starting to take shape, and that was helped along by another roster move Tuesday morning.
The Sox announced that they have released first baseman Lyle Overbay. The veteran signed a minor league deal during the offseason, and he had the ability to opt of his contract.
Boston had a bit of a logjam at first base leading up to the release. The club has Mike Napoli and the recently acquired Mike Carp in the fold, so letting Overbay go allows him to pick and choose his next destination. The Sox would have also had to pay Overbay $100,000 had they sent the 36-year-old to the minor leagues.
The Red Sox now have 38 players in major league camp, including 32 players from the 40-man roster, one on the 60-day disabled list and five non-roster invitees.
The Yankees, who were looking to add first base depth, were reportedly looking at Overbay as an option.
Overbay appeared in 19 games this spring for the Red Sox. He hit .220 and drove in seven runs while striking out 14 times.
