Mike Carp was acquired by the Red Sox from the Seatle Mariners on Wednesday, and he has a strong chance to make the Boston roster as a backup left fielder/first baseman.
The Red Sox picked up Carp for cash or a player to be named, one week after the 26-year-old had been designated for assignment by Seattle.
Carp is a .255 hitter with a .327 on-base percentage and 18 homers in 608 plate appearances in the majors, all with the Mariners. He struggled last season, batting.213 with a .312 OBP and five homers in 164 at-bats, likely as a result of shoulder and groin injuries. However, he also is only two years removed from a 12-homer season in part-time duty with Seattle.
Carp could fill a need for the Red Sox as a lefty-hitting alternative to left fielder Jonny Gomes and first baseman Mike Napoli. He will compete for a roster spot with first baseman Lyle Overbay, who has no major league experience as an outfielder. Also, Carp can’t be sent to the minors without being exposed to waivers, which may give him a leg up on Overbay.
“We’ve been able to add a talented player, someone we’ve had conversations about throughout the course of the offseason,” manager John Farrell said. “Finally he became available, another left-handed hitter that has that versatility on the defensive side. It increases the competition, particularly at first and left field.”
The Red Sox placed outfielder Ryan Kalish (right shoulder surgery) on the 60-day disabled list to clear space in the 40-man roster for Carp.