May 2, 2012 at 4:17 PM
Red Sox sign Mark Prior
CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman is reporting that the Red Sox have signed Mark Prior. On April 14, SoxProspects was the first to report that Prior had been at JetBlue Park for a tryout. That tryout must have gone well enough that the Red Sox were willing to offer Prior a contract to see if he can regain the form from almost a decade ago when he was one of the game's best.
Prior last pitched in the majors in 2006 before shoulder injuries forced him to miss all of the 2007-2009 seasons. His best year came in 2003 when he pitched 211.1 innings to a 2.43 ERA with 245 strikeouts. In 2010, he spent time with the Rangers before moving on to the Yankees in 2011. During his early years he featured a four pitch mix including a fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball.
This is a depth signing, and the Red Sox are hoping for Prior to be productive while keeping their expectations low because of his extensive injury history. It has not been stated yet whether the Red Sox intend to use him in the bullpen or starting rotation, but Prior pitched exclusively out of the bullpen during his time with the Yankees and Rangers.