Sox sign OF McAnulty
Paul McAnulty, a lefthanded-hitting outfielder who failed to establish himself in several stints with the San Diego Padres, has signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox.
A 27-year-old who has been described as a "Matt Stairs-type," McAnulty batted .207 with three homers and 13 RBIs in 66 games for San Diego last season.
He will be reunited with hitting coach Dave Magadan, who formerly held the same post with the Padres.
Red Sox scouting director Jason McLeod confirmed the move to the San Diego Union-Tribune yesterday.
“I think he fits a lot of what we look for in the American League. If he comes in and wins a major league job, I think his swing will work for our ballpark," said McLeod, who, as a Padres scout, originally signed McAnulty in 2002 after he was drafted out of Long Beach State.
"He's going to fight for a spot on our bench – left field and maybe first base. He really wanted to come here.”
He has a career on-base percentage of .400 in the minor leagues, but that has not translated to the big leagues. In parts of four seasons in San Diego, McAnulty has batted .208 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 212 at-bats over 124 games.
He also has struck out 62 times in has major league career -- or roughly once every 3.5 at-bats -- and the Union-Tribune noted that "[McAnulty] made some critical mistakes in the season's first half, both on the basepaths and in left field. After demoting him in early July, the Padres did not recall him."
Just for the heck of it, here's his brief writeup from the 2008 Baseball Prospectus: "Bad-bodied Paul McAnulty has yet to show well in three cups of San Diego coffee. Despite this, he still looks like a serviceable pinch-hitter and spare outfielder who would provide good on-base skills."
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The Sox have a number of quality minor-league outfielders who are 1 to 3 years away from breaking through to the bigs. Unfortunately, with Crisp (and Moss!) gone they will need help there THIS year. Hmm. CAN the versatile Youk actually be called on for some reliable outfield duty, or is that just a pipe dream? If the Sox really think he can handle it, that certainly sets the stage for a team with Youk, Texeira, AND Lowell sharing two positions.
It's too bad that a guy who performs the way Youk does, doesn't get extra credit at MVP time for handling two (and now maybe... three?) fielding positions. What starting player in all of baseball (I don't mean the occasional off-the-bench, second-string, 'utility' guy) does that? It's sad that such selflessness and versatility is so underappreciated. If that's not "most valuable", I don't know what is.
Hope it didn't cost the Sox more than $5.00.
Poor guy is destined to become the next Chris Carter... but with Theo's track record, he'll have a moment or two to make us wonder why he insn't in the majors to stay. Let's get Rocco!
Yes on Rocco. McNulty can't hit anywhere near Chris Carter, but adds depth in AAA, as IL-MVP Jeff Bailey should be on the Fenway Bench come April.
McNulty would seem to be behind Bailey, Jon VanEvery, Chris Carter and Joe Thurston . . . all older MLB ready prospects of a similar age . . . who have better resumes.
A bench of OF Rocco, 1b/OF Bailey, and IF/OF Thurston would provide good gloves, full coverage, greater utility, higher BA, OBP, OPS, HR, R and RBI than any bench configuration I can think of, save the Sox about $12M; and still have VanEvery, Carter, Danielson and others for depth in AAA with McNulty.
Although I would like to see the Sox go after a different 4th OF who has better MLB numbers, I have watched many games where he has played LF for the Beavers (San Diego's PCL AAA Afilliate in Portland OR.), I think that with work on the basepaths, and especially in the field, he could become a solid 4th outfielder.
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