The Boston Red Sox announced Monday that they have signed former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league spring training.
Thompson spent the 2024 season with the Triple-A affiliates of the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, posting a .233 average with 23 home runs and 66 RBIs in 107 games.
He has not played in the majors since the 2023 season, where he appeared with both the Chicago White Sox and Dodgers. Over 72 games between the two teams, Thompson hit .163 with six home runs and 17 RBIs.
In 107 games with the two clubs' top farm teams, he slashed .233/.315/.471 with 23 home runs and 66 RBIs. He also drew 46 walks and struck out 120 times.
Thompson has seen the most success with his hometown Dodgers.
In 217 career games with Los Angeles, Thompson has hit 32 home runs and recorded 87 RBIs. However, his 212 strikeouts in 643 at-bats with the Dodgers highlight his tendency to swing and miss, a factor that has kept him from securing a long-term spot with any team.
Thompson, who will turn 34 next month, was originally selected by the White Sox in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of high school in Southern California. He played 44 games with the White Sox in 2015 before being traded later that year in a three-team deal that brought him to the Dodgers and sent Todd Frazier to Chicago.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and capable of playing all three outfield positions, Thompson is expected to start the season at Triple-A Worcester due to the crowded outfield situation in Boston.
The Red Sox are slated to begin the season with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu starting in left, right, and center field, respectively. Additionally, veteran Masataka Yoshida is set to take on the role of the team's primary designated hitter.
Over parts of seven major league seasons with the White Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Athletics, Thompson has posted a .212/.300/.411 slash line, with 45 home runs and 126 RBIs in 369 games.
Thompson's brother, Klay, has had a successful 12-season career in the NBA, winning four championships, while his other brother, Mychel, also spent one season in the league. Their father, Mychal, played 12 years in the NBA and won two championships.
