Outfielder Adam Stern was acquired in early October from Boston as the player to be named later in the Javy Lopez trade, which we all expected when the deal was made. He has become somewhat of a cult hero to Boston fans and to Canadian fans because of his here-and-there heroics, including an inside the park home run against the United States in the World Baseball Classic. Trot Nixon called him "the Canadian Babe Ruth."
Stern's addition to the club also means that -- along with Bedard and Loewen -- we now have three members of that Canadian team. Like Bynum, Stern doesn't really project as much of a player, another spare part, but Javy Lopez was such a pain in the ass here and such a dismal flop in Boston that we likely won out on the deal anyway.
Stern hit .258/.300/.388 in 93 games with Pawtucket last season, and has a career .276/.332/.401 line in the minors.
Born in London, Ontario, Stern played his college ball for the University of Nebraska, though he did not punt. He bats left and throws right, can play all three outfield positions, and has pretty good speed. The Red Sox originally got Stern as a Rule 5 pick from the Braves, after a fairly good season at Double-A Greenville in 2004.
The best case scenario is that Stern winds up the team's fourth outfielder, basically taking the role David Newhan had before as the guy who could spot anyone out there and add a little speed. Worst case is he winds up playing a lot in left field and being an offensive burden. It's possible he could become a major league average hitter at age 27, but it's not something worth counting on or even hoping for, because chances are really good that you'll be let down if you expect more from Stern than a warm body to fill a roster spot with a few specific skills that don't add up to being a starter.
Regardless, I'm sure he will soon wind up a fan favorite as he did in Boston, and I've gotta say that on paper, I'm rooting for him.