The Red Sox are adding a former top prospect to the mix

Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox are taking a flier on yet another former top prospect.

With an opening in the outfield at the Triple-A level following an always-rare trade with the Yankees, the Red Sox officially signed Bradley Zimmer to a minor-league contract. Zimmer’s signing came just a day after the Dodgers released the 30-year-old outfielder from his minor-league contract with the club.

• In action for 31 games with Oklahoma City, Zimmer posted a .219 average and .322 on-base percentage, with three home runs and 14 RBIs. The lefty-swinging, righty-throwing outfielder also had 23 hits, including four doubles.

  Zimmer was also successful on eight of nine stolen base attempts.

  A defense-first outfielder, Zimmer spent the majority of his 2023 time with the Dodgers’ top affiliate in right field, but also had runs in both center and left field. Zimmer was knocked for just one error over that 225-inning sample.

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  Feb 22, 2023; Glendale, AZ, US; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Bradley Zimmer poses for a portrait during photo day at Camelback Ranch. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

• The California-born Zimmer is more than your average minor-league signing, though, especially when looking at his most recent experience.

  In action for 109 games last season between Toronto and Philadelphia, Zimmer recorded putouts on all but two of the 118 chances he faced in the outfield (.983 fielding percentage). That success did not follow Zimmer to the plate, however, as he hit just .124 with five doubles, two home runs, and five RBIs.

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  TORONTO, ON – JULY 2: Bradley Zimmer of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning during a game at the Rogers Centre on July 2, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

• Prior to his 2022 campaign, Zimmer spent eight years in the Cleveland organization after the Guardians selected him with a first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in the 2014 MLB Draft.

  At one point considered a top-20 prospect in baseball, Zimmer would hit .225 with 19 home runs and 86 RBIs in 263 games from 2017 through 2021. Zimmer hit a career-high in home runs (eight) in both 2017 and 2021, and recorded at least 35 RBIs in both 2017 and 2021.

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  Mar 20, 2022; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians outfielder Bradley Zimmer (4) walks to the dugout in the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics during spring training at Hohokam Stadium. (Allan Henry/USA TODAY Sports)

• The Red Sox currently have five outfielders on their MLB roster, so it’ll take something significant for Zimmer to leapfrog them and join Boston’s big-league roster. (It’s also worth noting that Zimmer is not on the 40-man roster, so it would take some movement elsewhere for that to be a possibility.)

  Overall, Zimmer has hit .213 with 21 home runs, 91 RBIs, and 42 steals (on 50 tries).

  In the outfield, Zimmer has posted a .992 fielding percentage and recorded 13 assists.

• A FANTASTIC catch from @Indians phenom Bradley Zimmer! pic.twitter.com/rlzeFMGKiz

  — Stadium (@Stadium) July 2, 2017