The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with free agent first baseman C.J. Cron just in
First baseman C.J. Cron is a free agent; the Red Sox have reached an agreement to terms on a minor-league contract, as Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com initially reported. According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, Cron would be eligible to receive up to $500,000 in performance bonuses in addition to $2 million if he is added to Boston’s active roster. The pact also includes an invitation to major-league spring training.
34-year-old Cron, a veteran of ten major league seasons, most recently played for the Rockies and Angels in 2023. The right-handed batter was only able to play in 71 games for the two clubs due to persistent back troubles. In 278 plate appearances, he batted.248/.295/.434 with 12 doubles, 12 home runs, 37 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 17 walks, and 65 strikeouts.
Despite those disappointing outcomes, Cron is only two years away from being selected to the National League All-Star team. In 2022, he slashed.257/.315/.468 with 29 home runs and a career-high 102 RBIs over 150 games (632 plate appearances) for the Rockies, following a career-best.905 OPS and 28 home runs in his first season with Colorado in 2021. Throughout his major-league career, which began in 2014, Cron has a lifetime.260/.320/.471 hitter with 194 doubles, 10 triples, 187 home runs, 604 runs driven in, 470 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 268 walks, and 928 strikeouts over 1,049 total games (4,043 plate appearances) with the Angels, Rays, Twins, Tigers, and Rockies.
Conversely, after making his Angels debut in 2024, Cron has only been utilized as a designated hitter or first baseman. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound player played 502 innings at first between Colorado and Los Angeles last season. According to FanGraphs, he recorded one out over average, zero defensive runs saved, and an ultimate zone rating of 1.3.
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