The trade deadline is more than a month away, but the Red Sox are already making moves.
On Thursday, they acquired first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce from the Blue Jays for minor league infielder Santiago Espinal.
The 35-year-old Pearce has played for every other team in the American League East during his 12-year career. He's hitting .291 with four homers and an .868 OPS in 26 games with the Jays, and he's best known for his skills against left-handed pitching, which fills a potential need for the Red Sox. He's a lifetime .264 hitter against southpaws with an .840 OPS.
"Everybody knows that he hits left-handed pitching," said manager Alex Cora. "He knows the division, obviously. He's a good player, he's swinging the bat well. It gives us an option against lefties. He can play first, he can play the outfield, he can DH. He can come off the bench, he's done it before and pinch hit. It's one more weapon that we have. We got better. We got better tonight. It's good to have him and looking forward to talking to him, if he gets there tomorrow or whenever. Go get 'em."
Pearce's best season came in 2014 with the Orioles, when he hit a career-high 21 homers in 102 games.
It's possible he's arriving just in time, because he's a lifetime .299 hitter in Yankee Stadium with eight homers and a .975 OPS in 87 at-bats.
