The Boston Red Sox have been active all offseason and they are once again interested in acquiring Ryan Dempster as they look to better their starting rotation.
I say "again interested" because the Red Sox had already reached out to Dempster earlier in the offseason offering the 35-year-old right-hander a two-year $26 million contract.
The offer is once again a testament of how the Red Sox are not trying to hold on to guys for an extended period of time. If a deal fails , they can bounce back and not lose like they did with Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.
Dempster is adamant about getting a three-year deal and the Red Sox, apparently, are now will to make the offer. They see Dempster as a presence, not only in the pitching rotation, but in the clubhouse.
As Ken Rosenthal, senior writer of FoxSports.com, reports, the Red Sox are trying to change the culture in a tumultuous clubhouse that has led to the departure of multiple players, coaches and led to the displeasure of playing in Boston.
At one point, it was believed that no free agent would want to sign in Boston, but with the additions of Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes and David Ross, the Red Sox are bringing a blue collar environment to the team.
These guys are veterans who play hard and hustle. Dempster would fit right in. He is known for being a prankster in the clubhouse and an easy going guy.
In 2012, Dempster split the season with the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. He totaled a 12-8 record with a 3.38 ERA, 173 innings pitched and 153 strikeouts.
Despite going 7-3 with Texas, Dempster posted a 5.03 ERA, which should be a warning sign for the Red Sox. However, they look to throw Dempster at the back-end of their rotation and could be a solid addition.
