Joel Hanrahan’s 2013 season was a disaster. A return to the Boston Red Sox isn’t out of the question, though.
The Red Sox are one of the teams continuing to check in on Hanrahan, whose 2013 season was derailed by an elbow injury, according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. Hanrahan reportedly plans to host an audition for interested teams at some point in March.
Hanrahan, whom the Red Sox acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates last offseason, struggled with Boston in 2013 before going down with an injury. The right-hander posted a 9.82 ERA in 7 1/3 innings over nine appearances, temporarily creating a closer issue for the Red Sox, who later handed the ninth-inning keys to Koji Uehara.
Hanrahan, a two-time All-Star with the Pirates, has had success in recent years, so he potentially represents a low-risk, high-reward signing, as his price tag is unlikely to be high because of his recent Tommy John surgery. The 32-year-old saved 40 games while posting a 1.83 ERA in 2011, and then compiled 36 saves while recording a 2.72 ERA in 2012.
The Red Sox’s level of interest in Hanrahan is unclear, but they obviously are a team to watch when the right-hander auditions for clubs next month.
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