The Boston Red Sox<\/a> have signed starting pitcher Garrett Richards<\/a><\/strong> to a one-year, $10 million contract per report from Jeff Passan of ESPN. Richards, 32, spent the last two seasons with the San Diego Padres<\/a> where he made just 17 starts in that time. He spent the previous eight seasons pitching for the Los Angeles Angels<\/a>. After missing out on Corey Kluber<\/a><\/strong>, Charlie Morton<\/a><\/strong> and J.A<\/strong>. Happ<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> Richards joins Enrique Hernandez<\/a><\/strong>, Hunter Renfroe<\/a><\/strong> and Matt Andriese<\/a><\/strong> as the biggest free agents Chaim Bloom and the Boston Red Sox have brought in this offseason.<\/p>\n Richards owns a career 3.62 ERA but hasn’t pitched more than 77 innings in a season since 2015. His two best seasons came in 2014 and 2015 when he threw a 2.61 ERA going 13-4 in 2014, and 3.65 going 15-12 in 2015. Since that point he has averaged just eight starts per year with a combined record of 8-12 during that time.<\/p>\n The right hander has spent time on the 15- and 60-day injured lists over the past few seasons due to UCL damage in his right elbow along with getting Tommy John Surgery.<\/p>\n Richards will now join a group of starters including Eduardo Rodriguez<\/a><\/strong>, Nathan Eovaldi<\/a><\/strong>, Martin Perez<\/strong><\/a>, Tanner Houck<\/strong><\/a>, Nick Pivetta<\/strong><\/a> and Andriese. While the team’s rotation is far from set, there is certainly more of a structure to the 2021 cast as opposed to last season’s. Eovaldi and Perez were the only solidified starters on the team a season ago despite spending time on the injured list. Boston got into the habit of relying on the “opener” in 2020 and certainly looks to be moving away from that.<\/p>\n Many expect Boston to be in the mix for another starter this offseason. After the recent signings of Happ, Jon Lester<\/a><\/strong>, Jose Quintana<\/strong><\/a> and others, Jake Odorizzi<\/strong><\/a> remains one of the top pitchers on the market outside of Trevor Bauer<\/strong><\/a>. Odorizzi has been on Boston’s radar all winter, as has been the case with a lot of pitchers this offseason.<\/p>\n Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images<\/a>Richards History<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Red Sox Staff Filling Out<\/h2>\n