Starting pitcher Garrett Richards and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a one-year $ 10 million deal, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Saturday.
The deal is pending a physical.
Richards’ biggest success during the pandemic-shortened season was staying healthy. The veteran righthanded man made 10 starts for the San Diego Padres in 2020 and went 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA, 46 strikeouts and 17 walks. He was moved to the bullpen late in the season and during the playoffs.
The 32-year old veteran fared much better against righthanded hitters (.589 OPS) than lefthanders, who had a .853 OPS against him during the season.
Richards has a long history of arm injuries. He had operated on Tommy John to repair his damaged ulnar collateral ligament after making 16 starts for the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, and he signed with the Padres after that season with the knowledge that he would spend most of the first year of his rehabilitation would rehabilitate. $ 15 million two-year deal. He came back to the mound for San Diego late in the 2019 season, posting an 8.31 ERA in 8 2/3 innings over three starts.
Another ACL injury, for which he underwent stem cell and platelet-rich plasma treatment, limited Richards to just six starts in 2016, and he made only six starts in ’17 due to bicep irritation.
He also tore his left patellar tendon in 2014 while covering first base at Fenway Park, ending another season prematurely.
Richards, who was a member of the Angels for his first eight seasons, has a 47-41 career record with a 3.62 ERA and 702 strikeouts and 291 walks.