Dominguez, Lake among non-roster invitees
Butler, DePew, Olmos and Walden also to attend Spring Training with Red Sox
Third baseman Matt Dominguez, outfielder Junior Lake, two Minor League catchers and two Minor League pitchers will attend Spring Training as non-roster invitees, the Red Sox announced Tuesday.
The 27-year-old Dominguez, who will get a look with little depth expected behind Pablo Sandoval, batted .269 with Toronto's Triple-A club in Buffalo last season while leading the Bisons with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs. In five games with the Blue Jays in 2016, he went hitless in 11 at-bats.
• Hot Stove Tracker
Dominguez saw extended time as the Astros' primary third baseman from 2013-14, batting .228 and belting 37 homers over those two seasons. He also ranked sixth among MLB third basemen with eight defensive runs saved in 2013, per FanGraphs.
Lake has batted .235 over 223 games with the Cubs, Orioles and Blue Jays. The 26-year-old appeared in 22 games for Toronto in 2016, including 10 starts in right field, and hit .200 with three doubles and a home run over 39 plate appearances.
Catcher Dan Butler will make the trip to Fort Myers, Fla., coming off a noteworthy 2016 season with Triple-A Pawtucket. In 48 games, the 30-year-old paired a .308 average with a .399 on-base percentage and an .851 OPS. Butler will be joined by fellow backstop Jake DePew, 24, who hit .215 and knocked nine homers over 86 games with Double-A Montgomery in '16. DePew also excelled at throwing out potential basestealers, posting a 36.5 percent caught stealing rate last season that ranked second in the Southern League.
Rounding out the slate of invitees are lefty Edgar Olmos and right-hander Marcus Walden. Olmos, 26, went 4-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 68 2/3 innings as a reliever for Baltimore's Triple-A Norfolk club in '16. Walden, 28, earned six saves over 42 relief appearances between the Twins' Double-A club in Chattanooga and Triple-A club in Rochester, posting a 2.40 ERA and limiting opposing batters to a .213 average.
Pitchers and catchers are set to report to Spring Training on Feb. 13, with position players due three days later.