Projo Sox Blog

The Red Sox today acquired right-handed pitcher Paul Byrd from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

"I'm really excited to be with a great team that's in a pennant race," said Byrd. "I'm excited about being with a team that has a chance to win it all. I've played for Terry Francona (Philly) before and I'm a big fan of Tito. I think the Red Sox have a great thing going, so it's really hard to be disappointed about anything that Boston offers."

The Sox -- in need of starting pitching because of Tim Wakefield's injury and Clay Buchholz' ineffectiveness -- have picked up a pitcher currently at the top of his game. Although Byrd is 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA overall, he is 4-0 in his last four starts with an ERA of 1.24.

"We think he can add a veteran presence with some stability to our starting rotation," said Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. "He's been on a roll since the All-Star break. He's been pretty darn good every time out there. This is a guy who has been through this before and he's someone who we think can be dependable for us. We know what we're going to get every fifth day. It just seems like the right time to add these kind of stabilizer.

"You never want to get caught short on starting pitching in August and September because there's very little you can do about it," added Epstein. "This was an opportunity without dipping into our farm system to add a veteran, who we feel we can trust."

Byrd will make his Red Sox debut on Friday at Fenway Park against the Blue Jays.

"I'm excited the Red Sox have taken a chance and have put their faith in me. I want to deliver," he said.

Byrd, 37, has been added to Boston's 40-man roster. The Red Sox will make a corresponding move on the active roster once Byrd reports to the club. Buchholz will likely be sent back to Pawtucket to continue his development.

"By no means are we giving up on Clay Buchholz - far from it," said Epstein. "We still think he's going to be a huge part of our future, and may well prove to be an important part of our present. With that said, we think this move gives us the freedom to do the right thing in our rotation, rather than forcing people into roles because of injury. We'll see how things play out but, by no means, is Clay Buchholz out of our picture."

 Tags  Boston Red Sox Paul Byrd

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