The Boston Red Sox ended the first half of the season on a hot note, winning nine straight games and firmly putting themselves back in the playoff picture.
And now they're adding another intriguing option to their offense.
On Tuesday, the Red Sox traded for Detroit Tigers utility player Jahmai Jones in exchange for a player to be named later. The Tigers recently designated Jones for assignment on July 9. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe was the first to report the trade.
Jones is having a down season after breaking out last year with Detroit. In 95 at-bats this season, the right-handed hitter is slashing .137/.219/.221 with two home runs and a .440 OPS.
The 28-year-old made a living off his numbers against left-handed pitching, often getting starts last season whenever a southpaw was on the mound. In 104 at-bats last season against left-handers, Jones hit .288 with a .970 OPS.
This year, those numbers have dropped to a .154 average and a .506 OPS. However, Jones did homer off Boston's ace Garrett Crochet back in April before going down with an injury.
Although his production has dropped significantly, Jones remains an intriguing option given the numbers he posted in limited at-bats last year. He provided a spark off the bench and often came through in clutch situations.
In 129 at-bats, Jones slashed .287/.387/.550 with seven home runs and a .937 OPS.
With the Red Sox recently designating lefty reliever Danny Coulombe for assignment, they had an open spot on the 40-man roster. Jones is out of minor league options and will need to be placed on the active roster. Who he might replace remains unknown at this time.
Although Jones is capable of playing in the infield, he hasn't seen much time there recently. Instead, he's primarily been used in the corner outfield spots or at designated hitter.
He profiles similarly to former Red Sox utility player Rob Refsnyder, who the team let go in the offseason after serving as its lefty-killing option for several years.
The Red Sox are, of course, still without their best outfielder in Roman Anthony. He's been sidelined since the beginning of May with a torn ligament in his right ring finger. Anthony has still not resumed hitting, leaving chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and company searching for more offensive options.
With Boston now right back in the thick of things, expect Breslow to get even more creative in the final weeks before the trade deadline.
