Justin Masterson was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox way back in 2006. They shipped him to Cleveland at the 2009 trade deadline as part of a package for Victor Martinez. Five and a half years after that trade, Masterson is heading back to Boston on a one-year, $9.5 million contract.
The Red Sox have an agreement with Justin Masterson.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 11, 2014
Source: Masterson deal will be $9.5 million plus incentives
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) December 11, 2014
The 29-year old Masterson was traded by the Indians to the Cardinals at the trade deadline, and 2014 represented a lost year for him. Over the course of the season, he threw just 125 2/3 innings in 25 starts and three relief appearances, posting an ugly 5.88 ERA to go along with 116 strikeouts and 69 walks. However, his groundball rate remained strong in 2014, a trait he also shares with new teammates Rick Porcello and Wade Miley.
After losing out on Jon Lester, it looks like the Red Sox are going with a quantity over quality approach to rebuilding their rotation. The only players that will probably be holdovers from their 2014 staff are Clay Buchholz, who had an up and down season over his 28 starts, and Joe Kelly, who came over at midseason from the Cardinals in the John Lackey trade and struggled in his 17 starts with both Boston and St. Louis.
