BOSTON –– John Maine was once a 15-game winner for the Mets. Although the pitcher is four years removed from that career year, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington believes Maine can contribute at some capacity.
"We're going to give him an opportunity to come in and pitch as a reliever and see what he looks like," Cherington said before Monday's Hot Stove Cool Music roundtable. "He's a guy that's had a lot of success in the big leagues. He's battled injuries and we think he's all the way back. We'll see how he does in spring training, and we're looking forward to working with him."
The Red Sox signed Maine to a minor league deal last week with an invitation to minor league camp.
Cherington said Maine's velocity has returned to over 90 mph after the pitcher battled a right shoulder injury — a setback that forced the right-hander to undergo season-ending surgery in 2010.
Maine last pitched in the majors on May 20, 2010, when he tossed just five pitches for the Mets in a 10-7 win over the Nationals. Last season, he pitched in Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he went 1-3 in 11 starts.
"We'll see how he does when he gets to spring training and gets his reps," Cherington said.
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