Sidearming-righty Justin Masterson will throw for interested teams in mid-March, according to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish. Masterson last pitched for the Red Sox in 2015, but was DFA’d in August after an ugly season in which he went 4-2 with a 5.61 ERA in 18 games (nine starts). He suffered a shoulder injury in May which cost him a month-and-a-half’s worth of action.
Chad Jennings of LoHud Yankees wonders if the Bronx Bombers would be interested in Masterson as a depth option in case someone gets hurt in Spring Training. Masterson could spot start or even step into the long-man role out of the pen.
Masterson, 30, started his career in Boston before getting traded to Cleveland in 2009. It was with the Indians where he had two of his best seasons – 2011, and 2013 when he was named to the All-Star team. Since ’13, however, Masterson’s gone 11-11 with a bloated 5.79 ERA. He was traded to the Cardinals at the deadline in ’14, then re-signed with Boston with hopes of resurrecting his career last winter.
Over his eight-year career, Masterson is 64-74 with a 4.31 ERA. His versatility as a starter or reliever could be intriguing, especially for GM Brian Cashman who loves to take fliers on low risk, high reward type players.
