6:14pm: The contract will pay Ohlendorf $900K in the big leagues, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier. Speier also confirmed that Ohlendorf has a minor league option remaining. The Red Sox control the right-hander through the 2014 season.
8:07am: The Red Sox signed Ross Ohlendorf, Peter Gammons of MLB Network tweets. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe confirms that the right-hander is in Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, Florida and MLBTR has confirmed that the sides agreed to a minor league deal.
Ohlendorf pitched respectably out of the Pirates' rotation in 2009-10, when he posted a 3.98 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 285 innings over the course of 50 starts. However, the 29-year-old Princeton graduate struggled in 2011, posting an 8.15 ERA in nine starts and allowing nine home runs in 38 2/3 innings. The Pirates released him after the season.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Obviously it’s a minor league deal. I’m sure the Red Sox are still hoping to catch lightening in a bottle.
Org depth? Is it 2009?
I can’t even see him fitting into the bullpen at this point, barring an injury.
Not exactly what I had in mind in my hopes for more starting pitching…
He’s minor league SP depth, just like Padilla, Cook, and Silva. Best case scenario: one of those guys pitches well this year and gets called up to be our #5 starter. Worst case scenario: they all pitch bad and are on the PawSox, not the Red Sox.
Hey at least one pitcher with the initials R.O. wants to play there
Ramon Ortiz? 😉
Ramon is signed by SF
The deal is 4 years/76 million w/ full no-trade clause. NICE!
desperate for pitching arent we ?
Add another one to the AAAA list.. Let’s go Ben!
What sort of depth for pitching and position players do the Red Sox have this year? I’m curious from an objective standpoint, rather than a fan-ish one.
Below is the Red Sox “MLB-ready” minor-league depth:
SP: Vincente Padilla, Aaron Cook, Carlos Silva, Ross Ohlendorf
Bullpen: Scott Atchison, Casey Janssen, Junichi Tazawa, Alex Wilson, Rich Hill
Hitters: Lavarnway (C), Kalish (OF), Anderson (1B)
For this year, I’d count Wilson as SP depth. Long term he profiles as a reliever, but he hasn’t struggled in a starting role yet.
Casey Janssen? The Blue Jays pitcher who just signed a 2 year deal with the Jays?
While you weren’t looking Cherington broke into the Jays camp and stole Janssen.
Pedey just plays man, he doesn’t care who is actually on the team with him.
pretty sure he meant Jesse Carlson
They are stuffing up the system with Ivy leaguer’s now. Getting ready for a Jeopardy battle with both Ohlendorf and Lavarnway on the 40 man roster.
The more the merrier…
I guess the Red Sox are hoping that at least 2 of Silva/Cook/Padilla/whoever I am missing/this clown pan out…
I’m loving the stock-pile strategy for the number 5 slot + depth. The only thing I’m worried about is the #4 slot.
The minor league pitchers we have been signing are no better than Wakefield…
Not sure which pitcher(s) that is an insult to the most there…
One thing. If Wake does agree to a minor league deal, everyone knows exactly what he can do, where some of the other retreads *could* possibly be slight upgrades.
Padilla is the only one of the bunch have any hopes of myself of putting up better numbers than Wake was capable of. silva could possibly give them a few good starts, but padilla think could actually be a fair (albeit below average) starter for an entire season.
Possibly… but you really think Padilla will exceed his career mediocre stats? I agree with you that he has the best chance, but in the AL East and at his age I don’t see him doing any better than Wake.
Lightning-in-the-bottle tactic works, but this is taking it to a whole new level.
Lightning-in-the-bottle tactic works, but this is taking it to a whole new level.
Good luck Ross. Hopefully you can fix your problems and once again be a good major league pitcher.
I don’t if this deal will work out for the Red Sox, but there is little risk in bringing Ross in to at best, replace a drunk chicken eatin’ Josh Beckett.
He was a top prospect in the Yanks system and should be treated as such. The guy has tremendous upside and is a beautful pickup by the sox.
This guy sucks (happy gilmore quote)
This guy sucks (happy gilmore quote)
O.K…Does all this money saving SOX stradagy mean they will LOWER the price of tickets ? Why doesn’t our Fave Red Sox owners install gas pumps @ Fenway, and discount gas to ALL tickets holders ???!!! Let’s start w/ Spring Training. PS I think our GM must have watched “MoneyBall” all winter long. Good for him !! Go SOX ! The weather is beautiful here in Hollywood, Fl. wish you all could drive down & enjoy.