The Red Sox today have signed 12 free agents, including Milton’s Rich Hill, to minor league contracts for 2012, and all 12 players were invited to Boston’s major league spring training camp as non-roster players.
Right-handed pitchers Brandon Duckworth, Charlie Haeger, Will Inman, Doug Mathis, Tony Pena Jr., Carlos Silva and Chorye Spoone, left-handed pitchers Jesse Carlson, Hill and Justin Thomas, shortstop Pedro Ciriaco and utility player Nate Spears.
All of the free agents are on the Pawtucket roster.
Here are profiles on each player:
Jesse Carlson:
Carlson, 31, missed all of 2011 on Toronto’s disabled list due to rotator cuff surgery performed on May 24. The left-hander last pitched in 2010, splitting that season between Toronto and the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas. He has appeared in 162 major league contests, all with the Blue Jays from 2008 through 2010, and has combined for an 8-8 record, three saves, a 3.63 ERA and 114 strikeouts at the big league level. Since being selected in the 15th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft by Detroit, he has pitched in the Tigers, Astros, Blue Jays and Rangers organizations. A native of New Britain, Carlson attended the University of Connecticut.
Pedro Ciriaco:
Ciriaco spent the majority of 2011 with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A Indianapolis club, where appeared at shortstop (46 games), second base (18), third base (1) and left field (6) while hitting .231 (64-for-277) with seven doubles, three triples, two homers, 24 RBIs and 31 runs. The 26 year old also played in 23 games over six separate stints for Pittsburgh last season and hit .333 average (13-for-39) with three doubles, two triples and seven RBI in 31 career major league games, all with the Pirates over the past two seasons. Signed by Arizona as an international free agent on Feb. 28, 2003, he has batted .273 hitter (951-for-3,482) with 131 doubles, 39 triples, 25 home runs, 332 RBI and 486 runs in 875 minor league games in the Diamondbacks (2003-10) and Pirates (2010-11) organizations. A native of San Pedro de Macoris, Ciriaco also appeared in 28 games for Toros del Este of the Dominican Winter League this offseason.
Brandon Duckworth:
Duckworth, 35, returns to the Red Sox organization after going 8-6 with a 3.97 ERA (52 ER/118.0 IP) and 88 strikeouts in 22 games, 21 starts, for Pawtucket last season. He last pitched in the majors with Kansas City in 2008, going 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA (19 ER/38.0 IP) in seven starts. Originally signed by the Phillies as a non-drafted free agent Aug. 13, 1997, Duckworth has gone 23-34 with one save and a 5.28 ERA, 376 strikeouts and 228 walks in 134 major league games, including 84 starts, over parts of eight seasons with the Phillies (2001-03), Astros (2004-05) and Royals (2006-08).
Charlie Haeger:
Haeger, 28, pitched for San Diego’s Triple-A Tacoma affiliate and Boston’s Double-A Portland club in 2011, combining for a 6-3 record with a 5.44 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 17 starts. After signing with Boston as a minor league free agent on July 22, he was 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA and 49 strikeouts with 22 walks in eight starts for the Sea Dogs. Originally selected by the White Sox in the 25th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Haeger owns a 2-7 record with one save, a 6.40 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 34 career major league games, including 10 starts, with the White Sox (2006-07), Padres (2008) and Dodgers (2009-10).
Rich Hill:
Hill, 31, pitched in the Red Sox organization in 2011 before undergoing season-ending Tommy John Surgery on June 9. He threw eight scoreless innings over nine appearances out of the bullpen in 2011 and has held opponents scoreless in all 15 outings with Boston dating back to Sept. 14, 2010, the longest streak ever to begin a Red Sox career. The Milton native also pitched for the PawSox last season, going 1-0 with one save, a 1.13 ERA and 18 strikeouts. In 93 career major league appearances, including 70 starts, between the Cubs (2005-08), Orioles (2009) and Red Sox (2010-11), Hill owns a 22-20 record with a 4.73 ERA and 370 strikeouts.
Will Inman:
Inman pitched for San Diego’s Triple-A clubs over the past two seasons. In 2011, the 24-year-old tied for sixth in the Pacific Coast League with 120 strikeouts over 42 games, 17 starts, with Tucson while going 5-11 with a 6.15 ERA. Selected by the Brewers in the third round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, the right-hander has appeared in 173 career minor league contests, including making 136 starts, over seven campaigns in the Brewers (2005-07) and Padres (2007-11) organizations. Inman has averaged 9.03 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors with a 47-45 record, one save and a 3.76 ERA.
Doug Mathis:
Mathis, 28, spent time in 2011 with San Francisco’s Triple-A Fresno affiliate and Oakland’s Triple-A Sacramento affiliate, combining for a 4.27 ERA, 64 strikeouts and an 0-5 record in 17 starts. He also pitched for the Samsung Lions of Korea Professional Baseball last season, where he went 5-2 with a 2.52 ERA. Mathis has appeared in 45 major league games, including six starts, all with the Rangers from 2008-10, and is 3-3 with a 4.84 ERA and 44 strikeouts in his big league career. He was selected by Texas in the 13th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft and pitched in the Rangers system through the 2010 season.
Tony Pena Jr.:
The 30-year-old Pena spent the 2011 season with Pawtucket, his first year in the Red Sox system and his second full campaign as a pitcher. He went 9-6 with three saves, a 3.56 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 33 appearances, including 14 starts, with the PawSox and also pitched in 23 games with Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League during the offseason, going 1-0 with three saves and a 3.20 ERA. Signed by Atlanta as an international free agent on July 21, 1999, Pena played primarily shortstop before converting to pitcher during 2009. He hit .228 (189-for-829) with four home runs and 66 RBIs in 327 games over parts of four big league seasons with Atlanta (2006) and Kansas City (2007-09) and made one major league pitching appearance in 2008. Pena’s father Tony, a former major league catcher who played for the Red Sox from 1990-93, is the bench coach for the New York Yankees.
Carlos Silva:
Silva, 32, pitched in the Yankees organization last season, combining to go 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA, 28 strikeouts and six walks between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Double-A Trenton and High-A Tampa. A veteran of nine major league seasons with the Phillies (2002-03), Twins (2004-07), Mariners (2008-09) and Cubs (2010), he is 70-70 with two saves, a 4.68 ERA, 554 strikeouts and just 238 walks allowed in 316 career major league games, including 180 starts. No active hurler with at least 750.innings pitched has fewer walks per nine innings than Silva (1.73). A native of Venezuela, he was originally signed by the Phillies as an international free agent in 1996.
Nate Spears:
Spears, 26, returns for his third season in the Red Sox organization. He spent most of 2011 with Pawtucket, where he hit .248 with 19 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 45 RBIs, 49 runs and 49 walks in 96 games while appearing at all four infield positions and left and right field. A left-handed hitter, Spears made his major league debut in three games for the Red Sox last September. Originally selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, he has hit .273 with 171 doubles, 43 triples, 55 home runs, 375 RBIs, 531 runs, 424 walks and 85 stolen bases in 958 minor league games in the Orioles, Cubs and Red Sox organizations.
Chorye Spoone:
Spoone, 26, has spent all seven years of his professional career in the Orioles organization since being selected by Baltimore in the eighth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. The right-hander reached the Triple-A level for the first time last season, when he combined to go 7-6 with his first career save, a 4.50 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 19 starts and a career-high 12 relief outings between Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie. In seven minor league campaigns, Spoone has a 36-41 record with a 4.14 ERA and 476 strikeouts.
Justin Thomas:
Thomas spent the 2011 season with the Pirates Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, where went 8-2 with three saves, a 3.89 ERA, 59 strikeouts and 24 walks. He posted a 2-0 record and 1.08 ERA over his final 13 outings. Last year, his third straight season pitching exclusively in relief, the 27-year-old southpaw led the International League with 12 holds and a career-high 63 appearances. He limited left-handed hitters to a .188 batting average and just one extra-base hit. A fourth-round selection by Seattle in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Thomas is 45-35 with 14 saves, a 4.15 ERA, 600 strikeouts and 282 walks in 258 career minor league games, including 76 starts. He also has made 20 major league relief appearances between the Mariners (2008) and Pirates (2010). In nine games this offseason for Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League, Thomas went 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA.
