Report: Red Sox Have Shown ‘Only Preliminary Interest’ in Ryan Dempster Thus Far

Ryan Dempster was one of the biggest names to change teams during the regular season, and he’ll once again be a hot topic now that he’s hit the open market. However, the Red Sox might steer clear of the veteran despite a need to add starting pitching depth.

The Red Sox have shown “only preliminary interest” in Dempster, according to the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber.

The news comes amidst a flurry of rumors surrounding the Red Sox in recent days, but as Lauber points out, the Sox didn’t aggressively pursue Dempster at the trade deadline, so their subdued interest at this point is understandable. That’s especially true when you consider the right-hander’s second-half performance.

Dempster raced out to a hot start with the Cubs in 2012, going 5-5 with a sparkling 2.25 ERA in 16 starts. After being dealt to the Rangers at the trade deadline, though, the 35-year-old went 7-3 with a less-than-stellar 5.09 ERA.

Dempster has been a tough pitcher to gauge over the years, as he’s experienced varying degrees of success. His best season came in 2008, when the right-hander went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 33 starts while earning an All-Star nod as a member of the Cubs.