Ex-Red Sox outfielder Raimel Tapia signs on with Milwaukee Brewers
The outfielder posted a .701 OPS in 39 games with Boston.
Twenty-nine- year-old outfielder Raimel Tapia found a new home two days after he was released by the Red Sox.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that Tapia had signed with Milwaukee following his Sunday release from Boston.
The outfielder was originally designated for assignment last Monday so the Red Sox would have room on their roster for second baseman Christian Arroyo.
After being unable to find a trade partner during the week, Boston’s chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom let Tapia become a free agent.
Bloom signed Tapia to a minor league contract this past offseason and after a strong spring training, picked him for the Opening Day roster.
Over the next two months, the Red Sox used Tapia as their fourth outfielder. He played in 39 games but only had 97 plate apperances.
When he got to the plate, though, Tapia was a solid contributor. He didn’t have a ton of power with Boston but did manage a .701 OPS and did damage on the basepaths.
He’ll join a Brewers team that currently sits at one game above .500 and second place in the NL Central.
Milwaukee’s best player is leftfielder Christian Yelich, but Tapia will get plenty of starting time in center and right where the Brewers have been particularly weak this season.
They have also been hampered by a number of injuries to their outfield in recent weeks, so Tapia’s signing comes at a perfect time.
Tapia has a career .709 OPS, which isn’t spectacular but is an improvement on the Brewers’ other options.
The outfielder also provides a ton pressure when he gets on the base paths. Tapia stole six bases for the Red Sox before he was released and had 45 steals over the previous four seasons.
Before he joined Boston, Tapia had spent the first six years of his major league career in Colorado, and he played for Toronto last year.
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