Red Sox Notebook: Bullpen Depth Added

In their continuing quest to add right-handed relief depth, the Red Sox acquired David Aardsma from the White Sox Monday in exchange for minor league RHPs Miguel Socolovich and Willy Mota. Aardsma split last season between the White Sox and Class AAA, going 2-1 with a 6.40 ERA in the majors and 3-2 with 15 saves and a 4.33 ERA in the minors.

—RHP Dan Kolb and RHP Dan Miceli both signed minor league deals with the Red Sox last week and will serve as additional depth for the bullpen headed into spring training. Both relievers could also be seen as insurance policies if RHP Mike Timlin ever starts showing the wear and tear of pitching in 17 big-league seasons. Kolb was an All-Star closer in 2004 with the Milwaukee Brewers but pitched in only three big league games last year, posting a 9.00 ERA for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

—RHP Craig Hansen underwent successful offseason surgery for a sleep apnea problem that cut short his season in the Hawaiian Winter League. Sox officials hope the right-handed reliever will emerge this season as the hard-throwing, lights-out relief pitcher they envisioned when he was drafted 26th overall in 2005 out of St. John's University in New York City.

—Reports have had the Sox interested in several left-handed hitting free agents over the last week to round out their depth on the bench. Brad Wilkerson and switch-hitting Tony Clark (a member of the Sox in 2002) have both been mentioned as possible corner infield/corner outfield reserve solutions, but the Sox have yet to pull the trigger on either player. Part of the Sox interest in signing a reserve first baseman is to ease the burden on 1B Kevin Youkilis, a standout performer who has worn down in the second half of his two seasons as a big-league starter.

—RHP Kyle Snyder agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $835,000 before going to an arbitration hearing.

—1B Kevin Youkilis has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Feb. 18. The Sox front office has never gone to arbitration during the tenure of GM Theo Epstein.

—A man accused of killing former Red Sox prospect and Cincinnati Reds OF Dernell Stenson in 2003 was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to the slaying of Stenson while he was playing in the Arizona Fall League. Reginald Riddle pleaded guilty to first degree murder in 2006 after reportedly killing the promising young outfielder in Scottsdale and then stealing his SUV from the murder scene.


BY THE NUMBERS: $3.7 million—The salary amount request filed by Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis as part of the arbitration process. The Sox countered with an offer of $2.525 million.


QUOTE TO NOTE: "I don't know Shawne Merriman. I don't know Rodney Harrison. But nothing was made of (both players getting suspended for usage of performance-enhancing drugs)." —Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, discussing a perceived double standard over the stigma of performance-enhancing drug usage in the worlds of pro baseball and pro football.