Report: Red Sox sign Tapia to minor-league deal

The Boston Red Sox continued to add to their outfield depth Thursday, signing Raimel Tapia to a minor-league contract, reports the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

The 28-year-old spent last season with the Toronto Blue Jays but was non-tendered in mid-November. He slashed .265/.292/.380 with seven home runs, 20 doubles, and eight stolen bases across 128 games. While he only struck out in 18.7% of his at-bats, he also posted a career-worst 3.7 BB%.

The Red Sox will be happy to see Tapia on their side after watching him excel against them last season. He hit .290/.318/.516 with seven extra-base hits and 16 RBIs across 15 games while also hitting two home runs and posting a .900 OPS in 30 at-bats at Fenway Park. One of those homers was an inside-the-park grand slam, which came after Jarren Duran lost the ball in the lights.

The Red Sox already have outfielders Enrique Hernandez, Rob Refsnyder, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu, and Duran on the 40-man roster, though Hernandez will likely move to the infield. The club is also expected to add Adam Duvall in the coming days after reportedly agreeing to a one-year, $7-million deal Wednesday.

Tapia spent time at all three outfield positions last season but is considered a below-average defender. He graded poorly in outs above average and outfielder jump last season, per Baseball Savant, though he did rank in the 83rd percentile in arm strength and in the 72nd percentile in sprint speed.

Before landing in Toronto prior to last season, Tapia spent parts of six seasons with the Colorado Rockies.