Red Sox Sign John Maine To Minor League Contract

The Boston Red Sox have added to their pitching depth for the upcoming season, signing John Maine to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

"They’re going to look at him out of the bullpen," agent Rex Gary told the Free Lance-Star, the local paper in Maine's native Fredericksburg, Va. "They know he can start, but they think he can be a heck of a reliever in the American League East."

Maine, who turns 31 in May, hasn't been seen in the major leagues since May 20, 2010 with the New York Mets. He missed much of the 2010 season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair his shoulder; in 2011, he caught on with the Colorado Rockies' organization but walked away after failing to make the big-league roster.