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2.24.2003
Red Sox sign Robert Person to a minor league deal Minor league deal with Spring Training invite (and incentives that could be worth up to $1 million). Not much to dislike here, even coming off a very poor and injury plagued 2002 season for Person, which is how he got to late February without a team in the first place. There doesn't appear to be a whole lot of room in the Red Sox rotation at the moment with Pedro, Lowe, Wakefield (for now), Burkett and Fossum the likely starting five to open the season and several other starters waiting in the wings (guys like Frank Castillo and Steve Woodard). Doesn't matter, this is a virtually risk-free proposition, and it would seem that Person'll open the season either in AAA or as a long man in a crowded bullpen. Either way, in order to pitch in Boston he's going to have to earn it, whether he does so in Fort Myers or Pawtucket. Seems like a pretty decent strategy to assemble a bunch of these guys on the cheap and let them battle it out for innings and playing time based on merit, and that seems to be what GM Theo Epstein and the Red Sox brass have in mind here. Robert Person has had success in the major leagues, and while it wasn't there for him last year, he's (supposedly) healthy and only 33, so there's probably a decent chance he can be productive on some level again. With Person signed, there aren't a whole lot of name guys left teamless, but among them is Chuck Finley. Why doesn't this guy have a job? We've written on this before, and we know he's 40, but he had a pretty good 2002 and probably wouldn't cost much at this point for a contending team. The Angels still seem like a really good fit, but GM Bill Stoneman is insistent that the team's not interested because they don't like the idea that they'd have to give up a first round pick as compensation, which is a fair point. We'll see what happens. Anyhow, Person will be probably be good for something in 2003. - |