Sox, Dempster agree to two-year deal
Pending a physical, the Boston Red Sox and pitcher Ryan Dempster, who was a free agent at the end of 2012 season, have reached a two-year $26.5 million deal, according ESPN.
According to a baseball source, the former Chicago Cubs pitcher had turned down deal from both the Sox and the Kansas City Royals last week. It is speculated that the pitcher was ultimately seeking a three-year deal, but eventually settled for two.
The right-hander had four straight seasons of over 200 innings with the Chicago Cubs with a 2.25 ERA in 16 starts before being traded. He has also seen playing time on the Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins and Cincinnati Reds.
He popped up on the disabled list twice in the 2012 season, once with strained right quadricep in the beginning of the season, and again in mid-June with a strained lat muscle that forced him to sit out for 19 games.
Over his career against Boston’s AL East opponents, Dempster is 4-8 in 17 starts with a 4.91 ERA (58 earned runs over 106 1/3 innings). He also tends to bomb versus the New York Yankees. In five starts against them, he is 0-4 with a 7.62 ERA, giving up eight homers and walking 18 over 28 1/3 innings.
Whether or not Dempster will be worth the $25 million remains to be seen, but all Red Sox Nation could do right now is hope for something better than 2012.
