12:38pm: As expected, it’s a minor league contract, per Tim Britton of the Providence Journal (Twitter link).
9:21am: The Red Sox have signed corner infielder Mike Olt, who announced the news on Instagram (h/t Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). It’s presumably a minor league deal for Olt, who didn’t crack the majors in 2016 after inking a minors pact with the Padres last March.
The 28-year-old Olt went to the Rangers in the first round of the 2010 draft and eventually topped out as Baseball America’s 22nd-best prospect after the 2012 campaign. The Rangers then sent Olt to the Cubs the next season in a trade centering on right-hander Matt Garza, but he failed to live up to his considerable promise in Chicago. In 2014, the only season in which Olt has seen extensive major league action, he batted .160/.248/.356 and struck out in 38.8 percent of his 258 plate appearances. All told, Olt has slashed .168/.250/.330 in a combined 400 PAs with the Rangers, Cubs and White Sox. He has been more successful, albeit not great, at the Triple-A level, having posted a .234/.318/.429 line in 774 PAs.
Primarily a third baseman, the Connecticut-born Olt, an ex-UConn star, will now return to his native New England and attempt to stick with the Red Sox organization. Boston does have questions at the hot corner, where Pablo Sandoval is aiming to bounce back from a horrid 2015 and a lost 2016. Brock Holt and Josh Rutledge are on hand as major league depth, while another of BA’s former top 100 prospects, Matt Dominguez, is in the minors.
Meh
It’s going to be panda or bust….I wouldn’t tie Holt down to a single position, his value comes in his flexibility
Dynamite drop in , Monty
This guy makes Chris Carter look like Ichiro with his K%.
I can’t help but shout “Steve Holt!” when I see his name.
Hahaha, great reference: youtube.com/watch?v=rREGbLdOzfg
haha thanks. Oddly enough, I never feel that urge when I see/hear Brock Holt’s name haha
I usually yell “Brock Holt!” in my head when his name comes up.
Excited for that 5th season!! Won’t be the same since they are gonna have to do the indv. stories again. No way the whole cast is free st once.
Is the fifth season a definite?
Yeah they moved forward in the process
I think they started writing it around the actors
Dang, I was gonna post Steve Holt!
Great! Now I am going to need to binge watch Arrested Development for the next 4 days…again.
That show is the best.
He’s a beast!
A beast against getting on base and striking out
I can remember when the big debate in prospect circles was Mike Olt or Nolan Arenado …. goes to show how little predictive value prospect lists have.
didn’t olt get hit in the head with a pitch that ended up affecting his vision and balance?
That HBP completely changed his career trajectory. Fought blurry vision and balance issues. His tear ducts wouldn’t work, and he couldn’t keep using the only drops that worked(maybe deterioration?). Tough go for Mike…
I believe he had eye surgery/extensive eye treatment while with the Cubs’ organization. Hoping the best for him.
Blake Swihart should take reps at third during ST. He would be better option than anyone else they have.
Having a kid learn a new position every season, especially in the high minors, can and will ruin his development. They should keep him behind the dish and let him work on his defense.
They’ve already started why not ruin him more
He can’t play. Even the white sox cut him.
lol
Marco Hernandez??
Joey Gallo V1.0
1
Chronicles of the over-rated prospect featuring Joey Gallo acting as Mike Olt
Special guest appearance Jurickson Profar playing Joe Thurston
Well Gallo (to my knowledge) didn’t take fastball to the head that caused not only blurry vision, but balance issues, deterioration of his tear ducts due to the drops he used, multiple eye surgeries and rehabilitation procedures.
These factors all played into his inability to take a ball, he had a real rough go and it wasn’t really his fault.
Mike Olt had the potential to become a decent, albeit maybe not spectacular, major leaguer. He had the pop, it’s just his eyes physically failed on him. It’s a shame because of the hype he will forever be seen as a bust who will set the line as the bottom of the barrel of that “all power nothing else” prospects like Joey Gallo can turn into, even if he had no say in the matter.
I just feel bad for the guy.
Yeah I mean, it’ll be fun to see him hit a few dingers in Pawtucket
A real bad luck for him but hopefully he can turn it around and have a descent little career but at the very least he is still fighting to have his dream so good for him. Best of luck
He wasn’t signed by the Red Sox, he was signed by the Paw Sox. Buy, don’t rent, in RI, my man.
Panda or Marco Hernandez at 3rd