The Boston Red Sox have made their first signing of the 2024-25 offseason, and it'll bring a new face to the bullpen.
The Red Sox have signed veteran lefty reliever Justin Wilson, first reported by MLB insider Robert Murray of FanSided. The details of the contract are not yet public, but it is a major-league deal.
Wilson is 37 years old and has 12 years of MLB service time under his belt. He's played for the Mets, Yankees, Pirates, Cubs, Tigers and, most recently, the Reds. In 2023, Wilson signed with the Brewers while he recovered from Tommy John surgery, but never pitched an inning for them, as he sustained a lat injury as he warmed up to make his Milwaukee debut.
Wilson also signed with the Dodgers organization but never appeared in the major leagues for them. He inked a minor league deal with Los Angeles before the 2024 season but opted out shortly before spring training to re-sign a major league pact with Cincinnati.
Red Sox sign former Reds, Yankees reliever Justin Wilson
Free-agent reliever Justin Wilson and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a contract, according to sources familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) November 14, 2024
Wilson is a career 3.61 ERA pitcher with 561 strikeouts and 223 walks over 513.2 innings. His 2024 campaign was rough, and he posted a 5.59 ERA over 46.2 innings in his second stint with the Reds. Wilson flashed brief moments of success, though, including a 2.79 ERA over 12 appearances in July. He carried a promising 95th-percentile chase rate last season but a concerning fourth-percentile barrel rate.
The veteran could be in for a bounce-back season in 2025. 2024 was Wilson's busiest slate in years, as he hasn't pitched more than 46.2 innings since 2018 in the Cubs organization.
Wilson will join Brennan Bernardino, Cam Booser, Chris Murphy and Zach Penrod as the lefties in Boston's 'pen. The Red Sox are also expected to lose veteran relievers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin to other squads this winter, and Wilson will bring much-needed big-league experience to their relatively young pitching staff.