Red Sox Swipe Infield Depth Off Waivers From Rays

The Boston Red Sox's season may be unofficially over, but they're still trying to find ways to improve for the future.

That was the case last week when they signed Kike Hernandez to a contract extension, and it was the case again on Monday when the team claimed a versatile infielder off waivers.

Boston Red Sox News

Boston's Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom raided his old team on Monday by claiming infielder Yu Chang off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox also designated outfielder Jaylin Davis for assignment in a corresponding roster move.

While Chang isn't going to move the needle much for a team that's three games below .500 and 10 games out of a playoff spot with just 21 to play, he does fit into Bloom's strategy of acquiring cheap depth options with multiple years of team control.

The 27-year-old Chang has already bounced around a lot this year, as Boston will be his fourth team this season. He seemed to finally find his groove with Tampa Bay, however, hitting .260/.305/.385 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 36 games for the Rays.

The Red Sox are hoping he can remain productive with the bat in Boston while continuing to slide around the diamond. He's played every infield position except catcher in 2022, making him a perfect super-utility player to have on the bench. He's also still in his final year of pre-arbitration, so he's a cost-effective option in the short run.

Lack of depth was a major issue for the Red Sox this year, as their season went off the rails when several of their top players went down during the summer. With Chang on the roster, hopefully, they can avoid a similar fate next year.