A new addition and a familiar face will be on the Boston Red Sox’s roster in 2015.
The Red Sox agreed to terms on one-year, non-guaranteed contracts with starting pitcher Rick Porcello and reliever Junichi Tazawa on Friday night. Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington made the announcement in a team-issued statement but did not disclose financial details.
The Red Sox acquired Porcello from the Tigers in a December trade that sent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to Detroit. The 26-year-old right-hander won at least 10 games in each of his six seasons with the Tigers and posted a career-low 3.43 ERA in 2014. He is expected to be a key cog in a new-look Red Sox rotation that lost Jon Lester, John Lackey and Jake Peavy this offseason.
Tazawa enters his sixth season with the Red Sox since making his MLB debut in 2009. The Japanese right-hander played an integral role in Boston’s World Series run in 2013, allowing only one run in 13 postseason appearances and earning the win in the decisive Game 6. He’ll be relied on as a shutdown middle reliever for Boston in 2015.
Thumbnail photos via Greg M. Cooper and Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports Images
