The Red Sox should sign Matt Murton. Why?
Matt Murton has decided to stay in Japan, so this question is irrelevant now. Still, Murton would have filled a valuable role for the Red Sox.
1. He is freely available. Murton is coming off an extremely nice season in Japan where he broke Ichiro's all time hits record, but didn't show a lot of power. He also hit for 200 hits in his first season in Japan, so it isn't a fluke. He can hit for a high average, draw a few walks, and hit for a little bit of pop (29 HR in 900 career at bats).
2. Murton is right handed, so he would be a nice complement to the all lefty outfield the Red Sox currently start.
3. Murton is an above average defender in the outfield, so he would likely be able to play in both right field and left field.
It isn't clear that Matt Murton would accept a bench role on a major league team when he could start (and star in Japan). It also isn't clear that a MLB offer would be more lucrative financially for him than a job in Japan would be. If neither of those things are an option, Murton could be an intriguing piece for any MLB team. Despite his failure to stick following the 2009 season, we are talking about a player with a perfectly league average OPS who plays good defense.
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