Boston claims reliever Taylor Buchholz off waivers from Toronto

According to Alex Speier of WEEI.com, the Red Sox, remaining busy in the hunt for potential bullpen arms for next season, have claimed right-hander Taylor Buchholz off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Buchholz, 29, was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth round of the 2000 amateur draft. He was traded by Philadelphia in 2003 to the Houston Astros in exchange for closer Billy Wagner. He made his major league debut in 2006, going 6-10 with a 5.89 ERA in 22 games (19 starts) for the Astros. After being traded to the Colorado Rockies before the 2007 season, Buchholz moved to the bullpen where he found his calling, evidenced by his 2.17 era in 63 games relief appearances for the team in 2008.

He missed all of the 2009 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and returned to the majors on July 24, 2010, lasting just two appearances before heading back to the disabled list with back stiffness. Toronto claimed Buchholz off waivers on September 9th and used him in seven games of relief. Buchholz will hope to regain the form that saw him named the Astros #1 prospect by Baseball America prior to the 2004 season. Buchholz looks to be a prime candidate for a role in the Boston bullpen for the 2011 season.

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