BOSTON, MA - The Boston Red Sox today signed infielder Eduardo Núñez to a one-year contract through the 2018 season, with a player option for the 2019 season. To make room for Núñez on the 40-man roster, the club designated right-handed pitcher Ben Taylor for assignment.
Núñez will wear number 10; bench coach Ron Roenicke will wear number 20.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
Núñez, 30, hit .313 (146-for-467) with 60 runs scored, 33 doubles, 12 home runs, and 58 RBI over 114 games between the San Francisco Giants and Red Sox last season. He set career highs in batting average, on-base percentage (.341), slugging percentage (.460), doubles, and extra-base hits (45). The right-handed batter started 51 games at third base, 25 at second base, 18 in the outfield, 15 at shortstop, and four at designated hitter. After being acquired by Boston on July 25, he made 38 starts for the club, with 25 coming at second base.
In 80 games from May 12 through the end of the 2017 season, Núñez batted .337 (114-for-338) with an .883 OPS. He reached base safely in 33 consecutive games from May 12-July 16, the longest such streak in the majors last season. The Dominican Republic native hit eight home runs in only 38 games with Boston, after he hit four home runs in 76 games with the Giants. He batted .394 (41-for-104) with runners in scoring position between the two clubs, the majors' second-highest mark behind only Washington's Daniel Murphy (.409).
Originally signed by the New York Yankees in 2004 as an amateur free agent, Núñez has hit .282 (610-for-2,164) with 118 doubles, 16 triples, 46 home runs, and 245 RBI over 669 career games with the Yankees (2010-13), Minnesota Twins (2014-16), Giants (2016-17), and Red Sox (2017). A 2016 All-Star with the Twins, the eight-year major league veteran has appeared defensively at shortstop (270 games), third base (248), second base (55), left field (42), and right field (8) throughout his career.
Taylor, 25, made his first Opening Day roster with Boston in 2017 despite having never pitched above the Double-A level prior to the season. In 14 relief appearances for the Red Sox, he went 0-1 with one save and a 5.19 ERA (10 ER/17.1 IP). The right-hander also made 14 minor league appearances-including rehab-last season, posting a 2.30 ERA (4 ER/15.2 IP) and holding opponents to a .157 batting average. Selected by the Red Sox in the seventh round of the 2015 June Draft, he has a career 2.95 ERA (49 ER/149.2 IP) in 64 games (13 starts) at the minor league level.