Red Sox Sign Versatile Utility Player After Kiké Hernández Trade

The Boston Red Sox acted quickly to replenish the versatility and depth they lost Tuesday by trading utility man Kiké Hernández to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

According to Wednesday’s WooSox game notes and the MiLB transaction log, Boston signed infielder/outfielder Eddy Alvarez as a free agent and assigned him to Triple-A Worcester.

Alvarez has 50 games of major league experience, first with the Miami Marlins in 2020-21 and then with the Dodgers in 2022. The 33-year-old recently opted out of his minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers after appearing in 63 games with Triple-A Nashville this season.

Obviously, Hernández has a far more extensive track record than Alvarez, who slashed just .183/.262/.262 with one home run and 11 RBIs in his first 142 MLB plate appearances. But Alvarez has performed well in the upper minors and, like Hernández, has shown an ability to play both the infield and outfield.

Alvarez saw time at shortstop (10 games), second base (26 games), third base (five games), left field (10 games) and right field (10 games) with Nashville this season. He posted a .287/.397/.473 batting line with seven homers, 31 RBIs and 16 stolen bases across 257 Triple-A plate appearances.

That minor league offensive success is a continuation of last season, when Alvarez slashed .322/.439/.554 with eight homers, 29 RBIs and three stolen bases across 215 plate appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City of the Dodgers organization.

Will Alvarez find his way to Boston? That remains to be seen. After all, the Red Sox traded Hernández in large because they had an infield logjam, with Yu Chang, Pablo Reyes and Christian Arroyo vying for playing time up the middle. And shortstop Trevor Story is expected to return soon, further disrupting the depth chart.

But Alvarez nevertheless is a decent depth piece to stash in Worcester, especially since he’s a left-handed hitter, something that separates him from the rest of the aforementioned pack.

The Red Sox acquired two right-handed relievers — Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman — in the trade sending Hernández to the Dodgers. They both were assigned to Worcester, where they’ll join Alvarez in waiting for a call-up to Boston.