BOSTON, MA - The Boston Red Sox today acquired outfielder Rajai Davis from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor league outfielder Rafael Rincones.
To make room for Davis on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated outfielder Steve Selsky for assignment.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
Davis, 36, has batted .233 (70-for-300) with 17 doubles, two triples, and five home runs in 100 games with the A's this season, also stealing 26 bases in only 32 attempts. In 30 games since the All-Star break, the right-handed hitter has gone 23-for-76 (.303) with an .848 OPS and 11 stolen bases. Davis has recorded five assists and two double plays in 79 games (62 starts) in center field, also making nine starts in right field and two in left field.
Selected by Pittsburgh in the 38^th round of the 2001 June Draft, the Connecticut native has hit .264 (1,053-for-3,987) with 216 doubles, 42 triples, 60 home runs, and 391 stolen bases in 1,301 major league games between the Pirates (2006-07), San Francisco Giants (2007-08), A's (2008-10, 2017), Toronto Blue Jays (2011-13), Detroit Tigers (2014-15), and Cleveland Indians (2016). In his career against left-handed pitching, Davis has hit .285 (392-for-1,375) with a .775 OPS. Entering Wednesday, Davis ranked third among active players in steals and had been successful in 391 of 490 career attempts (79.8%). He has stolen at least 20 bases in 10 of his seasons, recording 40 or more steals five times with a career-best 50 in 2010.
Davis appeared in the postseason in 2014 with the Tigers and in 2016 for the Indians. In Game 7 of last year's World Series against the Chicago Cubs, he tied the score at 6-6 with a two-out, two-run home run off Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning at Progressive Field.
Rincones, 18, has played 57 games this season for the Dominican Summer League Red Sox, batting .258 (51-for-198) with one home run, 19 RBI, and eight stolen bases while leading the team with 38 runs scored, 13 doubles, and three triples. All of his 51 defensive starts have come in right field, where the Venezuelan native has recorded six assists. Originally signed by the Red Sox in 2015, the switch-hitter has played 96 minor league games over two seasons with Boston's Dominican Summer League clubs, going 84-for-315 (.267) with 64 runs scored, 18 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 39 RBI, and 14 stolen bases.
Selsky, 28, appeared in eight major league games for the Red Sox this season after making his first career Opening Day roster, going 1-for-9 with a double and appearing defensively at third base (two games) and in center field (one game). In 79 games with Triple-A Pawtucket, the right-handed batter has hit .215 (64-for-297) with 30 runs scored, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, and 39 RBI, playing all outfield positions as well as 14 games at first base. Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 33^rd round of the 2011 June Draft, Selsky has played 616 career minor league games over parts of seven seasons, batting .284 (594-for-2,093) with 121 doubles, 15 triples, 62 home runs, 315 RBI, and 38 stolen bases.