Raimel Tapia agreed to a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox last month, which at the time was a bit interesting considering the fact the veteran outfielder has 567 games of major league experience.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters the organization was straightforward with the 29-year-old about his role and potential for contribution. Boston added other outfielders during the offseason with Masataka Yoshida and Adam Duvall, who are expected to start alongside Alex Verdugo with Rob Refsnyder serving as the fourth option in the grass.
“He’s an interesting player,” Bloom told reporters, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “He can hit, he has got some power. And he’s athletic. The defensive tools are really interesting and there’s potentially more upside there to convert that into results. Just a guy who offers a lot of interesting things on both sides of the ball and we’re glad to get him here.”
Tapia told reporters how he hoped and expected to receive a big league contract this offseason after starting 107 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022. When it didn’t come to fruition he changed his mindset and knew he’d have to compete. The competition in Boston will start immediately as Tapia tries to pursue a spot on the Opening Day roster.
“I think he really wanted to have a chance to be part of this,” Bloom said, per Cotillo. “He was very intrigued, wanted to be here, wasn’t shy about letting us know. That’s a cool thing.”
Tapia also hinted his previous experiences at Fenway Park played a role in his decision. The outfielder recorded an inside-the-park home run at Fenway last season, hitting .290 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 15 games against the Red Sox.
