Monday, December 29, 2008

Boston Red Sox finally get in on the off-season action


After saving millions when they couldn't sign free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, the Boston Red Sox appear to have banked another penny.

Boston media outlets are reporting that the team has agreed to terms with free-agent pitcher
Brad Penny. The right-hander will received a one-year, $5 million deal and can earn an additional $3 million for throwing more than 160 innings.

Looking to add a catcher, the Red Sox also agreed to a non-guaranteed major league deal with
Josh Bard, the Boston Herald reported. The deal is worth $1.6 million, the newspaper said.

While battling shoulder problems last season, Penny struggled to a 6-9 record with a 6.27 ERA for the
Los Angeles Dodgers. That followed his two most productive major league campaigns. He went 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 2007, was name to the All-Star team and finished third in Cy Young voting. In 2006, he was 16-9 with a 4.33 ERA and also made the All-Star team.

In nine years, Penny is 94-75 with the Dodgers and
Florida Marlins.

The Red Sox, who lost to the
Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Championship Series last season, have been looking to shore up a rotation that includes Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield.

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