Per multiple reports, including one from both Peter Gammons and Rob Bradford of WEEI, the Boston Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with former St. Louis Cardinals reliever Mitchell Boggs.
Boggs, who turns 31 in February, put together the best season of his Major League career back in 2012 with St. Louis, when he made 78 appearances for Mike Matheny‘s club, posting a 2.21 earned run average, 2.76 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.050 WHIP. However, he was never able to replicate success to that degree again with the Cardinals.
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The next season, his audition for the closer job in St. Louis didn’t pan out as planned and he was eventually dealt to the Colorado Rockies for international bonus money after posting an 8.10 ERA in 18 relief appearances. Following that trade, he pitched much better – but since 2013, he has not appeared in the big leagues.
He spent 2014 largely at the Triple-A level – appearing in contests for affiliates of both the San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox. On the year, he was underwhelming, to say the least, putting up a 2.157 WHIP across 51 innings to go along with 0.88 strikeout-to-walk clip and allowing 14.8 hits per nine.
For Boston, he represents a low-risk option that adds depth to the relief corps. Should he continue to struggle, it’s not going to break the bank for the Red Sox. If, on the other hand, he regains his form from 2012 – he gives manager John Farrell a hard-throwing, right-handed option in the late innings.
Currently, the club has the likes of Edward Mujica, Brandon Workman, Junichi Tazawa and closer Koji Uehara as relievers from the right side. Opposite them, Craig Breslow and Drake Britton take the ball from the left side.