Red Sox fans who were barely able to memorize the spelling of Jarrod Saltalamacchia before season's end may have another name to learn by Opening Day.
That's because the Sox are interested in free agent Justin Duchscherer, according to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
Duchscherer, 32, pitched just 28 innings in 2010 after missing all of the 2009 season due to shoulder and back injuries and a bout with depression. He went 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in his five starts in 2010 before undergoing hip surgery.
Despite the two lost seasons, Duchscherer (pronounced DUKE-sherr) is likely to draw interest based on his strong 2008 season, when he went 10-8 with a 2.54 ERA in 22 starts. He represented the A's in the All-Star Game in New York that year, the second time he earned that honor in his career.
The Red Sox actually drafted Duchscherer in the eighth round of the 1996 draft. He spent time with the Gulf Coast Red Sox and Trenton Thunder, among other teams, before the Red Sox traded him to the Rangers in exchange for Doug Mirabelli in 2001. Duchscherer was traded the following year from Texas to Oakland in exchange for Luis Vizcaino.
In his career, Duchscherer is 33-25 with a 3.13 ERA in 224 appearances and 32 starts.
