UPDATE (8:50 p.m. ET): The Boston Red Sox officially announced the addition of outfielder David Murphy as a non-roster invitee to their spring training roster.
ORIGINAL STORY: David Murphy is returning to his Major League Baseball roots.
The free agent outfielder reportedly agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox, pending a physical, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported Monday. The contract would be worth $2 million if Murphy makes the major league roster, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.
The Red Sox selected Murphy 17th overall in the 2003 draft, and he played just 23 big league games over parts of two seasons with Boston before being shipped to the Texas Rangers in the 2007 trade that brought pitcher Eric Gagne to the Red Sox.
The 34-year-old played 132 games in 2015 between the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels, putting up a .283/.318/.421 slash line with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs. The Red Sox already invested in some outfield depth with Chris Young, who can face left-handers, this offseason, but Murphy could provide a veteran bat to the mix to handle righties. If Boston’s outfield suffers any injuries, there currently isn’t much major league-ready depth beyond Bryce Brentz in the farm system.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
