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The best baseball team is not resting on its laurels.
The Boston Red Sox were clear Thursday night by acquiring first baseman / outfielder Steve Pearce through the Toronto Blue Jays, in exchange for the experience of minor league player Santiago Espinal.
The case seems to be coming out of nowhere, as the deadline for the Major League Baseball exchanges is still more than a month away. So, why did the Red Sox of the American League add Pearce now?
Baseball operations team president Dave Dombrowski, expressed it in clear terms Thursday after Boston's 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
"We were looking for a guy who can hit the shot on the left even though we have done better lately," Dombrowski said at a press conference on NESN. "We talked about adding another guy that we can put in alignment against a difficult southpaw.
"He always hit left-handed shots very well He is a threat to drive in races, chase the ball out of the stadium." We think he's a guy that can be a key piece for us against some left-handed shots, he can also hit right-handed, but that's really the role we were looking for him. "
Pearce has only played 26 games for Toronto this season while combat injuries have a line of slash .306 / .358 / .531 against left-handed pitching. He also provides a bit of pop with at least 13 home runs over his last four seasons and has spent his last eight seasons in East AL.
"Everyone knows that he's hitting the shot on the left," said manager Alex Cora of Pearce Thursday night, broadcast on NESN. "He knows the division, obviously, he's a good player, he balances well.
The Red Sox, who hit .257 against the left-handers as a club this season, have a need in this area, as Hanley Ramirez hit .333 against left-handed throws before Boston released him in May. With free-field and first-base experience in addition to the designated hitter, 35-year-old Pearce can either throw Mitch Moreland early or line up at DH when J.D. Martinez plays in the outfield.
It's a bit of a role similar to the one played by Chris Young for Boston over the past two seasons; Young mostly started against left-handers and hit .329 against them in 2016.
Pearce has played 100 games in a season just once, so he's not a big difference maker. But it still meets a need at a relatively low cost as Boston prepares for the second half.
"This is one more weapon we have," added Cora. "We improved tonight, it's good to have it."
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara / USA TODAY HUI Sports Images
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