Red Sox sign former Royals utility man Nate Eaton to minor-league deal

The Red Sox are in agreement on a minor-league contract with free-agent utility man Nate Eaton, as was first reported by MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. The deal includes an invite to big-league spring training and guarantees $780,000 if Eaton reaches the majors.

Eaton, who turns 28 next month, was originally selected by the Royals in the 21st round of the 2018 draft out of Virginia Military Institute. He debuted for Kansas City in 2022 and appeared in 72 games over parts of two seasons before spending the entirety of the 2024 campaign with Triple-A Omaha.

Offensively, Eaton is a lifetime .201/.266/.283 hitter with four doubles, three triples, one home run, 13 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 12 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 178 career plate appearances at the major-league level. After going just 4-for-53 (.075) with the Royals in 2023, the right-handed hitter was designated for assignment and subsequently outrighted off Kansas City’s 40-man roster last November. He then slashed .252/.299/.439 with 30 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 60 RBIs, 65 runs scored, 27 stolen bases, 27 walks, and 108 strikeouts in 116 games (464 plate appearances) for the Omaha Storm Chasers this past season before electing free agency.

Elsewhere, Eaton is known for his defensive versatility and speed. With Omaha this year, the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder made 40 starts at third base, 32 starts in left field, 12 starts in center field, nine starts in right field, and two starts at second base. In his two seasons with Kansas City, he saw playing time at third base and all three outfield spots

In his rookie season two years ago, Eaton ranked in the 100th percentile of all major leaguers in arm strength by averaging 98.1 mph on his throws. To complement that, his sprint speed ranked in the 97th percentile at 29.6 feet per second in 2022 and in the 96th percentile at 29.5 feet per second in 2023, according to Baseball Savant.

Though he has two minor-league options remaining and hits from the right side of the plate, Eaton does not necessarily have a clear path to a big-league roster spot with the Red Sox. He does, however, possess a unique skill set that could help him stand out at camp and — in all likelihood — with Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2025 season.