Veteran Lyle Overbay has been signed to a Minor League deal with an invite to big league camp, a baseball source confirmed to MLB.com on Thursday.
Overbay turned 36 three days ago and has nearly 12 Major League seasons under his belt, including five in the American League East with Toronto from 2006-10. Mike Napoli's here, but just how his hips can hold up -- he has avascular necrosis, which affects blood supply to the area -- is to be seen.
A left-handed bat who plays almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, Overbay split last season between the D-backs and Braves. He did particularly well in the first half with Arizona, putting up a .292/.367/.438 line in 110 plate appearances. Both Napoli and Boston's other first baseman, Mauro Gomez, are right-handed.
Overbay hit 20 home runs two seasons ago, then nine in 2011 and last season saw the total drop to just two. He's done well against the Sox lifetime, with a .303/.374/.514 line (90 games), and he's even better at Fenway Park: .323/.395/.500 (43 games).
Overbay was reportedly talking to the Brewers as well.
The Red Sox would be Overbay's sixth Major League team. His contract has an opt-out clause at the end of Spring Training, according to the Boston Herald, where the signing was first reported.
Jasper's thoughts: "This is a smart move by the Red Sox. Overbay won't be a huge MLB presence, but with we know that Napoli will have health problems, and extra backup is always good."
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