Ryan Dempster to the Red Sox on 2-Year Deal

By KC Downey in Featured, Red Sox, Top Story ⋅ December 13, 2012 at 8:01pm ⋅ Post a comment

The Red Sox and starting pitcher Ryan Dempster have agreed on a 2-year deal worth $26.5 million. He becomes the third player the Red Sox signed this offseason to a contract worth an average annual value of at least $13 million per season.

Last season with the Cubs and Rangers, Dempster finished with a 3.38 ERA over 173 innings. His numbers considerably dipped when he was traded to the American League mid-season (5.09 ERA over 12 starts), but the 35-year-old has been one of the more dependable starters in the big leagues.

While the price tag may seem high, the Red Sox succeeded in signing the veteran to just a two-year deal. Dempster has been a dependable starter for several years and really isn’t a risky pickup, as he will likely sit comfortably as the team’s third or fourth starter and log around 180-220 innings, assuming he stays healthy (he has had at least 28 starts in every year since he became a full-time starter in 2008).

Dempster also is described by many as a great clubhouse guy, so the Red Sox seem to be valuing that a bit more this time around with the additions of Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes and Mike Napoli.

What do you think of the deal?