The Red Sox kept working the margins of their roster ahead of the MLB trade deadline, landing another movable piece in Eli White while sending right-hander Tyler Uberstine to Atlanta.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Boston is acquiring White from the Braves. The 32-year-old outfielder brings a little bit of everything: he can handle all three outfield spots, run, and give a lineup a touch of pop when needed.
White’s numbers this season show the kind of role player the Red Sox are betting on. In 69 games with Atlanta, he hit .233 with five home runs, six doubles, one triple and 17 RBI in 133 at-bats. That home-run total matched his previous career high, even though he was working with a fairly limited workload.
The trade comes in the middle of a busy stretch for Boston, which entered Monday at 60-51 after winning five straight. The Red Sox were five games back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, but still squarely in the postseason picture. White may not be the headline move of the deadline, but he adds a useful layer of depth for the final push.
His value is rooted more in versatility than star power. White has seen time at all three outfield positions, and his speed makes him a potential late-game weapon as a pinch runner. That kind of flexibility can matter when a manager is trying to protect a lead, shuffle a lineup or squeeze value out of a bench spot.
There’s also some evidence the bat can play in the right spots. White hit three times in five at-bats during Atlanta’s July 29 doubleheader against the New York Mets, and he added a double against the Baltimore Orioles four days earlier.
Over 345 career games, he’s now batting .212 with 25 home runs, 84 RBI and 117 runs scored. Before joining the Braves, he played for the Texas Rangers.
The split numbers are part of what makes this move make sense for Boston. White hit just .143 with a .213 on-base percentage in 56 home at-bats at Truist Park this season, which means most of his production came on the road. He also hit four of his five home runs against National League opponents.
Atlanta could afford to move him because of its own outfield depth. The Braves entered Monday at 67-45, holding an eight-game lead in the NL East and riding a five-game winning streak. Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Mike Yastrzemski and Mauricio Dubón were among the other outfield options available to them.
For the Braves, the return is Uberstine, another right-handed arm to develop. For the Red Sox, it’s a clean deadline-type deal: add athleticism, add flexibility, and keep chipping away at the edges of a team trying to stay in the race. White isn’t arriving as an everyday centerpiece, but he does give Alex Cora another useful piece to work with over the final two months.
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