Boston Red Sox add Justin Masterson to their Rotation
The Boston Red Sox continued to add pitchers to their rotation on Thursday. According to sources, the Red Sox have signed right-hander Justin Masterson to a one-year deal worth $9.5 million plus incentives.
Free agent Masterson, 29, just came off of a rocky season in 2014 due to an injury. He finished with an overall 7-9 record and an ERA of 5.88 with the Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Despite last year's poor numbers, Masterson has a good track record. In the 2012 season, he started a league-high of 34 games and pitched 206.1 innings. In 2013, Masterson went 14-10 with a 3.45 ERA, earning All-Star status. In his seven-year career, Masterson is 60-72 with a 4.24 ERA.
Masteron is the third starting pitcher that the Red Sox have added to their rotation since losing out on Jon Lester. The other two pitchers are right-hander Rick Procello from the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks' lefty, Wade Miley, whose deal should be announced this Saturday, sources reported. These pitchers, who are known to be "ground-ball heavy," according to Matt Synder with CBSSports.com, will get a lot of support from the infield.
Synder writes: "Obviously, the Red Sox still can acquire more pitching. I wouldn't rule out signing James Shields and they still have a glut of corner outfielders who could be dealt (and the Reds are clearly selling starting pitching). For now, though, it's clear that general manager Ben Cherington targeted pitchers who keep the ball on the ground, which is obviously a plus in the AL East."
