The Red Sox announced Monday that they have claimed right-handed reliever Taylor Buchholz off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Buchholz, 29, came up through Philidelphia and Houston’s systems as a well-regarded prospect. After mixed results as a part-time starter with the Astros and Rockies, Buchholz broke out with a dominant season of relief in 2008, putting up a 2.17 ERA in 66 innings for Colorado. He would be unable to repeat his performance, though, missing all of 2009 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery.
While Buchholz wasn’t his old self in his return to action this year, struggling through the minors and only recording 12 major league innings, he’s barely had any time to get back into his old form, and the Sox have nothing to lose giving him a shot in spring training. If he does find his old stuff again, Boston could find itself with a setup-quality reliever on their hands on the cheap.