The Red Sox announced today that they have optioned outfielder Jarren Duran to Triple-A Worcester. That seemingly paves the way for fellow outfielder Raimel Tapia to get a roster spot, and that will indeed be the case, per @BostonStrong_34 (Twitter links). Tapia isn’t on the 40-man roster and will require a corresponding move.
Tapia, 29, has spent most of his career with the Rockies but was traded to the Blue Jays prior to last year. He doesn’t hit for much power or walk a lot, but he limits strikeouts and brings a speed element. He stole just eight bases last year but swiped 20 bags the season prior. With the new rules that will encourage base stealing this year, perhaps that part of his game will take on some extra importance. As a hitter, he has 26 home runs in 567 career games to this point. He’s walked in just 5.5% of his plate appearances but also gone down on strikes just 18.5% of the time. His .277/.318/.392 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 80. He is coming off a nice spring, however, as he hit a couple of home runs and slashed .326/.383/.605.
Tapia seemingly has value to Boston for his ability to play center field. With Trevor Story’s injury that will keep him out of most or perhaps all of the upcoming season, the Sox decided to move Enrique Hernández in from the outfield to cover shortstop. They then replaced him in center by signing Adam Duvall, who has never been an everyday option up the middle. The 34-year-old has less than 600 innings at the position in his career, all of which have come in the past three years.
Given that setup, it makes sense to have another player on the roster capable of filling in at center. Tapia isn’t especially experienced in center himself, as his 439 1/3 innings at that spot are actually less than Duvall’s. However, he’s got some good grades there for his career, including a +3 from Defensive Runs Saved and a +5 from Outs Above Average. It was reported last week that the Sox were viewing Tapia as a capable option up the middle, which seems to have helped him earn a spot on the roster.
More to come.