Report: Red Sox adding yet another veteran arm to pipeline

It would appear that Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox have found their next reclamation project.

In an offseason focused on fortifying pitching depth both at the MLB level and below, the Red Sox added another name to the mix Saturday with their reported signing of right-handed pitcher Jake Faria to a minor-league contract.

Word of Faria’s signing was first reported by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

• Source: Red Sox have a minor league deal with former Rays right-hander Jake Faria.

  — Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 4, 2023

• The 29-year-old Faria’s move to the Red Sox comes after a 2022 season spent in the Twins organization.

  In Triple-A St. Paul, Faria made nine starts, and compiled a 1-2 record with a 7.48 ERA over 12 games. Faria also surrendered 36 earned runs on 52 hits and nine home runs in 43.1 innings of work, and had minors career-worst numbers in both batting average against (.297) and WHIP (1.82).

  It was an ugly enough showing for the organization to cut ties with Faria in late June.

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  PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 03: Starting pitcher Jake Faria #55 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on July 03, 2021. (Ralph Freso/Getty Images)

• The 6-foot-4 Faria last appeared in the Majors in 2021 with Arizona.

  On the hill for 23 appearances (three starts) with the Diamondbacks, Faria posted a 5.51 ERA and 1.59 ERA over 32.2 innings. Without a win or loss to his name during his Arizona tenure, Faria also racked up 32 strikeouts, but also issued 13 walks, 39 hits, and surrendered 20 earned runs in just under 33 innings pitched.

  Faria was designated for assignment by the D’Backs just before the conclusion of the 2021 season.

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  Sep 13, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jake Faria (55) pitches in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. (Richard Mackson/USA TODAY Sports)

• Prior to his time in Arizona and in the Twins’ minor league system, the California-born Faria had stops in Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, and is primarily known for his run with the Rays.

  A 10th-round selection of the Rays back in 2011, Faria was at his best during his first year in the bigs, with a 5-4 record and 3.43 ERA in 16 games (14 starts) for the Rays back in 2017.

  Overall, Faria has posted a 9-9 record with two holds, a 4.70 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 185 strikeouts in 203 innings of work over 72 MLB games.

  At the very worst, Faria is just another insurance arm in the event that Boston’s injury-prone rotation fails to stay healthy in 2023. But if the Red Sox are relying on him for anything of substance in 2023, it almost goes without saying that something has gone very, very wrong.