The Boston Red Sox have signed veteran right-handed slugger Trayce Thompson to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com was the first to report the news Monday on Twitter/X:
Red Sox sign Trayce Thompson to minor league deal and add him to the spring roster.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 17, 2025
Thompson, 33, is attempting to make it back to the major leagues for the first time since splitting the 2023 season between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.
In parts of seven major league seasons with the White Sox, Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Oakland A’s, Thompson has slashed .212/.300/.411 with 45 home runs and 126 RBIs in 369 games.
Thompson, the brother of current Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson and the son of former Lakers star Mychal Thompson, has seen his greatest success with his hometown Dodgers.
In 217 career games with Los Angeles, Thompson has hit 32 home runs and driven in 87. He has also struck out 212 times in 643 at-bats in a Dodger uniform — a proclivity to swing and miss that has prevented him from staying with any one team for very long.
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Thompson split the 2024 season between the Cubs and New York Mets organizations. 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 more than 5,000 plate appearances at the minor league level and 1,058 in the majors in a professional career that began in 2009.
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Capable of playing all three outfield positions, the 6-foot-3 Thompson is likely ticketed for Triple-A Worcester amid a crowded outfield picture in Boston.
The Red Sox are set to start Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu in left, right and center field, respectively. Another outfielder, veteran Masataka Yoshida, is set to begin the season as the team’s primary designated hitter.
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Top prospect Roman Anthony is also knocking at the door, with many expecting the 20-year-old outfielder to make his highly anticipated major league debut this season. Barring an injury, there simply isn’t much room in Boston for Thompson.
Still, Fenway Park could prove to be a good fit for his light-tower power to left field if he is able to return to the majors in 2025. The Red Sox are his sixth different organization since the start of the 2022 season.
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