The Red Sox need all the help they can get right now, which is why they are taking a flier on a lefty reliever with significant major league experience.
The team inked Alex Claudio to a minor-league deal late Tuesday night, releasing reliever Marcus Walden, who had been pitching for Triple-A Worcester.
Claudio was released by the Angels in July after signing a one-year deal with Los Angeles in the offseason. Pitching 41 times in the Angels' first 98 games, the southpaw finished his stint 5.51 ERA, consistently having issues with walks (15 free passes in 32 1/3 innings).
The soft-throwing 29-year-old had been a master of getting ground balls throughout his career, carrying a 60.2 percent ground ball rate. This year he wasn't quite as effective in that department, coming in at 51 percent.
Claudio spent his first four years in the big leagues with Texas before spending 2019 and 2020 with the Brewers.
