Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports are reporting that Boston is "serious about pursuing" free agent starter Rich Harden. The Canadian right-hander had been rumored to be a target of the Red Sox given — as Rosenthal and Morosi note — the club's recent strategy of signing proven pitchers with health issues to short-term deals in an attempt to find a bargain. Unlike Boston's signings last season (John Smoltz and Brad Penny), Harden has proven that he can pitch well in the American League, which makes him particularly attractive to the BoSox.
Harden is a Type B free agent who was not offered arbitration by his previous team, the Cubs, earlier today. Rosenthal and Morosi were told by a source that Boston has yet to formally offer Harden a contract.
